Bonner County reviews pay benchmarking, asks HR to narrow comparison set and deliver cost estimates

At a Bonner County budget workshop, commissioners and HR staff reviewed a compensation benchmarking report and proposals to adjust paygrades for select positions. HR staff presented comparable wage data pulled from multiple Idaho counties, several cities and a regional survey and proposed some grade changes for positions it identified as having high turnover.

The discussion focused on whether the set of comparison jurisdictions and the methodology give an accurate picture of the county’s competitive market. Commissioners raised repeated concerns that using large southern counties such as Ada County and some southern markets inflates averages for jobs Bonner County needs to retain, while very small or structurally different districts bias comparisons downward.

Why it matters: commissioners said the benchmarking will influence next fiscal year’s personnel costs and could affect recruitment and retention in key areas including the prosecutor’s office, road and bridge, GIS, IT and law enforcement. Commissioners also asked for the county’s broader budget and insurance estimates before approving any pay changes.

HR presentation and the data

An HR staff member summarized the packet: “So what you do have in front of you is our benchmarking results and our proposed changes for certain positions. Not all positions were benchmarked this year, just the ones that have or what we identified as having a high turnover.” The HR staff member said comparable data came from Ada County, Spokane County, Nez Perce County, Latah County, Kootenai County, Blaine…