Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Hiring topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council rejects reclassification to a communications manager; debate centers on job duties and pay
Summary
The council considered reclassifying the city’s Communication Specialist position to a Communications Business Manager with a higher pay grade; Human Resources outlined market pay data and several council members and public commenters urged caution about duties, hiring approach and use of outside contractors; the council vote failed.
Michelle Fallon, director of Human Resources, told the council the proposed reclassification would upgrade the city’s Communications Specialist role to a manager level to attract candidates with “the skills, training, experience and maturity to lead the communication initiatives of the city.” She noted local market data showing a typical entry point for the desired skills of about $85,000 and that mid-career compensation could be near $100,000.
Councilman Hunter Pepper moved the reclassification; Councilman McMasters seconded. The measure drew extended discussion from council members about whether the job description matched the city’s needs and whether the city should seek internal candidates before widening pay scales. One council member described the low end of the proposed range as increasing roughly $7,000; another suggested it was closer to $11,000.
Public commenters and several council members urged that the city define whether it needs a public affairs officer (PAO) focused on media and incident risk management, or a broader communications director who would manage marketing, community engagement and external vendors. Multiple commenters suggested the city’s existing contract with an outside firm (Sage Communications) and the structure of current communications work should be considered before expanding the position.
At roll call the reclassification did not pass. Several council members voiced reservations about increasing the pay range without first ensuring the job duties and recruitment strategy aligned with the city’s needs and with internal candidate opportunities.
No candidate was being named at the meeting and no hiring decision followed from the vote; the council directed that more discussion and clarity about the role’s scope would be appropriate prior to future action.
