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Board approves $107,400 Baker Tilly wage and compensation study after debate over vendor selection
Summary
The Board approved a $107,400 contract with Baker Tilly for wage and compensation services following a contentious discussion about vendor selection criteria and concerns raised over perceived affiliations with DEI-related organizations.
The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners approved a $107,400 contract with Baker Tilly Advisory Group to perform a wage and compensation study for county positions.
Why it mattered: The project will produce a countywide wage and compensation analysis intended to inform hiring, retention and pay-scale decisions. Commissioners debated vendor selection process and whether proposals should be evaluated on criteria that included the portion of county positions the vendor would analyze.
Board debate: Some commissioners urged caution and asked for a Michigan-based vendor or additional interviews for firms that rated highly in the written scoring but were not interviewed. Commissioner comments included concerns about perceived association between Baker Tilly and external organizations (the Human Rights Campaign was referenced by a commissioner during discussion) and whether screening out vendors for ideological reasons would raise constitutional issues. County staff explained the RFP scoring rubric, how interviews were selected, and that Baker Tilly scored highest among interviewed firms and met the county’s stated scope (Baker Tilly proposed to review approximately 75% of positions while another un-interviewed firm offered 42%).
Vote: A motion to table to allow HR to seek additional Michigan vendors and re-evaluate failed on roll call. The original motion to approve the Baker Tilly contract carried on roll call.
Implementation: Staff said Baker Tilly will proceed with the scope in its proposal and HR will coordinate the study schedule and deliverables. Commissioners said they expect staff to document procurement steps and scoring for record.
