Kingston Select Board members reviewed a multi-department wage-matrix study and discussed how to apply its results to the current budget cycle.

Stacy, who presented the study, summarized methods used to compile salary ranges, explained limitations of comparing job titles across towns, and said the town’s files are available on a shared drive with raw data and macro-enabled spreadsheets. She said the study compares Kingston job titles with neighboring towns using demographics and departmental responsibilities but acknowledged the “apples-to-not-apples” problem when job responsibilities have drifted from titles.

Why it matters: The wage matrix affects hiring, retention and budget planning across police, fire, public works and town hall employees. Board members said police and fire have already used versions of the matrix in recent years for hiring and contract steps; other departments have not. The board must decide near-term how much to include in the municipal budget to cover any matrix-driven pay adjustments.

Key points from the presentation and discussion

• Study method and ranges: The presenter said the hiring range for the top highway positions (director of public works/road agent) was shown as roughly $95,000–$98,000 for initial steps, with seven steps across a full range. The presentation describes a differential between steps and a broader overall range from step 1 to step 7.

• Limitations: Committee members and the presenter repeatedly noted limitations in matching job titles across towns when employees perform extra duties; long-term employees who have accumulated responsibilities can sit at or above the top of a benchmark range. The presenter recommended that current employees be evaluated for reclassification where job duties have materially changed.

• Update cadence and governance: Stacy recommended the wage matrix be updated every three years, with demographic or responsibility checks annually and significant changes prompting earlier review. She suggested human-resources responsibility for ongoing maintenance, and the board discussed whether HR should be a separate function rather than combined with finance.

• Immediate budget timing: Board members said they needed a short-term solution ahead of a Wednesday budget committee meeting. Options discussed included extracting town-hall and DPW slices from the file and placing a placeholder dollar amount in the executive budget for raises the board could allocate after reviewing the detailed spreadsheets. Participants suggested several possible placeholder figures in discussion (one example mentioned $20,000; other estimates ranged higher), but the board did not set a final dollar amount and requested staff provide specific department-level pages for review before the budget hearing.

• Prior use and past actions: Presenters said police and fire had already used wage-matrix information in recent hiring and budgeting; the budget committee previously added about $30,000 to the fire budget based on matrix data to aid retention.

Discussion vs. decision

The board debated process, data access and whether to adopt the matrix formally. There was no final adoption vote. The board asked Stacy and town staff to export or PDF department-specific slices (town hall, DPW, police and fire) from the macro-enabled master file and to work with department heads to identify any employees who require job reclassification. The board agreed to present a short-term placeholder sum to the budget committee this week so that funds are available while the detailed reviews continue.

What’s next

Stacy will produce department-specific outputs and work with finance staff to put a reasonable placeholder amount into the executive budget for the budget committee hearing. The board will revisit formal adoption of the wage matrix after they can review the department-level data and suggested administrative policy language that Stacy is preparing.