Plano council hears plan to raise pay grades for general and technology staff; $4.4 million set aside in prior budget

City staff presented a proposal to adjust the city’s general government and technology pay plans and asked the council for direction to implement grade changes beginning June 2 so adjustments can be reflected before the budget process. Karen Rhodes Whitley, standing in for Victoria, said $4,400,000 was placed aside during last year’s budget work session for the compensation plan changes and that staff is asking to move employees who are below the new minimums up to the minimums of their new grade ranges.

Whitley said the one-time cost to finish out this fiscal year is $287,000 and the full-year cost is $862,000, which the city already included in the proposed 2025–26 budget. “What we are asking for tonight, for June 2, is just moving the—we're gonna move the grade. All the grades will go up per our consultants. And all that's being asked for is the individuals that are not making the minimum. We're just gonna move them up to the minimum pay of their grade range,” Whitley told the council.

Council member Horn pressed staff on the median-plus-5-percent philosophy used to set midpoints and asked how many employees fall below midpoints; staff replied most employees are hired toward entry level and the lower third of ranges. Horn raised concerns about long-term pressure on revenue sources, noting the city uses sales tax in part to cover public safety and that outside pressures could force belt-tightening or messaging to employees about fiscal constraints.

Staff and council discussed that the city uses annual market surveys across agreed benchmark cities and that adjustments are revisited in the budget process. No final ordinance or personnel policy was adopted at the meeting; staff said they will proceed toward the June implementation and provide further details during the budget discussions.