Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workforce And Compensation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council hears HR report: city seeks $4 million to complete market adjustments; benefits changes and mid‑year adjustments proposed
Summary
Human resources staff told the council the city needs $4 million to finish market‑based compensation adjustments identified in a multi‑year review; staff also sought ongoing mid‑year adjustment authority and outlined a small projected health‑insurance increase and benefit changes.
Cori Vogt, division director of human resources and risk management, and Sarah Soren, human resources manager, told the council the city has completed a four‑year market review of all positions and is asking for $4,000,000 (benefits burden included) to implement remaining market adjustments so positions behind the local market can be brought into competitive pay ranges.
“We are requesting $4,000,000. This is a benefits burden cost and will allow us to finalize the remaining market adjustments that have been identified for this year and ensure that all of our positions are competitive to the labor market,” Soren said. The presenters said past funding rounds had reduced pay gaps but that public safety and certain technical roles still lag market comparators.
Cori Vogt presented benefit spend and plan administration detail. She said the city participates in the Northern Arizona Public Employees Benefit Trust (NAPEBT) and that trustees have sought to limit the employee share increase. As a result, staff are projecting a modest 1.5% increase in medical insurance costs for the coming plan year and expect to expand dental and vision plan options; staff asked council to continue a mid‑year market adjustment budget (previously used to fill recruitment gaps) to allow responsive adjustments for hard‑to‑fill roles.
The HR team also reviewed the city’s vacancy and turnover metrics: the vacancy rate was about 12.25% (approximately 115 budgeted positions), the time‑to‑fill averaged about 79 days, and turnover had declined to about 12.7%—below national local government averages. Staff noted salary declines and cost‑of‑living concerns remain reasons for offer declines and that a portion of hires this year came from internal movement. HR said it was continuing recruitment outreach, including Discover Flagstaff partnerships and virtual screening tools.
Ending: HR urged council to consider the market adjustment request as a priority for FY2026 budgeting and to continue funding the mid‑year market adjustment pool to respond to critical recruitment needs.
