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Yucaipa receives and files 2024 classification and compensation study; consultants recommend pay adjustments to 75th percentile
Summary
The City Council voted to receive and file a classification and compensation study by Evergreen Solutions at its Jan. 27 meeting. The report recommends aligning pay ranges to the 75th percentile of the market and offers two implementation options with recurring cost estimates.
The City Council voted unanimously to receive and file a classification and compensation study prepared by Evergreen Solutions during its Jan. 27 meeting.
Courtney McCray, human resources manager, explained that the study was procured after the 2023 council goal and that Evergreen conducted on-site interviews, employee job surveys and market comparisons. The city directed the consultant to target the 75th percentile (described at the meeting as the "70-fifth percentile") of comparable peer organizations for pay-range placement.
Mark Holcomb, project manager for Evergreen Solutions, summarized findings: the current pay structure shows consistent internal progression but contains several unused grades. In the external comparison, the city on average fell slightly below the 75th-percentile benchmark (differences ranging roughly from 1% at minimum to about 4% at maximum). "Individual positions vary," Holcomb said, and some positions were above market while others trailed it.
Holcomb presented two example implementation options to move employees into a new pay structure. The "bring to minimum" option would adjust employees below a new grade minimum up to that minimum and was estimated to increase recurring salary costs by about $110,000. A more comprehensive "hybrid parity" option, which factors time in classification and partial credit for time in other city positions to address compression, was estimated at about $245,000 in recurring salary dollars. The consultant emphasized that the study focused on full-time regular employees and excluded part-time roles and the city manager position.
The item was presented as a "receive and file"; councilmember motioned to receive and file the report only and the motion passed by voice vote. No implementation decision or funding appropriation was requested at this meeting, and staff said future discussions and budgetary decisions would follow.
Why it matters: The study provides updated internal and market pay comparisons after a 13- to 15-year gap since the last full review. Aligning pay to the market affects recruitment, retention and salary compression concerns and could lead to recurring personnel-cost increases if the council elects a full implementation option.
Follow up: Staff will use the study as a basis for budget planning and for future discussions about employee adjustments and potential bargaining impacts.
