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Dunn County committee approves 2026 pay plan, shifts from fixed steps to pay ranges
Summary
The Committee on Administration approved a 2026 pay plan that lifts the county's pay-grid midpoints by 2.25%, moves from fixed step increases to pay ranges, and ties individual raises to a new performance matrix (2.75% for meeting expectations, 3.25% for exceeding). The committee voted unanimously to forward the proposal to the county board.
The Dunn County Committee on Administration on a unanimous voice vote approved a 2026 pay plan and wage-structure change that raises the county pay-grid midpoints by 2.25% and replaces the fixed 11-step progression with a pay-range model.
The plan, presented by Jenna, Assistant County Manager and Personnel, would set the 2026 midpoint for each grade 2.25% higher than 2025, then derive minimum and maximum rates around that midpoint. Individual pay increases would be administered as overall percentage increases tied to performance: a total 2.75% increase for employees who meet expectations and 3.25% for those who exceed expectations. Employees receiving a rating of "needs improvement" would not receive a pay increase for 2026. The plan also includes a mechanism for employees already at the maximum of a grade (the former step 11) to receive a lump-sum payment for performance above the max rather than a permanent rate increase.
The personnel presenter said the move away from fixed increments is intended to give managers flexibility in hiring and midyear adjustments and to allow a more sustainable approach to future pay proposals. The committee discussed managerial workload and the difficulty of implementing an evaluative pay process; staff said the smaller initial gap between meeting and exceeding expectations (0.5 percentage point) was intended to make those performance conversations more manageable in the first year.
Committee members asked for and received budget context: county staff said the 2026 budget as proposed assumes the percentage increases and that, in the county's costing spreadsheet, a 1% change to wages in the general fund equates to roughly $156,000. Committee members pressed staff about how many employees are at minimums or in introductory periods and how the plan affects part-time and casual-pay rates; staff said very few employees are at the minimum step and recommended continued monitoring.
Other elements of the ordinance package include applying the 2.25% structure increase to the county's in-lieu fringe rate for part-time employees and to rates such as the deputy medical examiner stipend. The personnel presenter said the county's pay consultant and Bureau of Labor Statistics measures (CPI and Employment Cost Index) informed the recommendation.
After discussion, Supervisor Barr moved to approve the plan as presented; Supervisor Bachand seconded. The motion passed on a unanimous voice vote and will be forwarded to the county board for action at the board's upcoming meeting.
The committee directed staff to provide additional detail on comparables and costing if requested and to continue monitoring performance ratings and any pay-implementation issues for the 2027 cycle.
