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Resident raises concerns about credibility of 2022 compensation study during public comment
Summary
A member of the public questioned the fairness and methodology of the 2022 Management Advisory Group (MAG) compensation study, citing specific examples of pay-grade changes and salary increases and asking council for explanations.
Rick Day of the Third District used the public-comment period at the June 24 meeting to challenge elements of the city’s 2022 compensation study produced by the Management Advisory Group (MAG).
Day said he was not disputing the study's results but asked the council to explain how the study arrived at certain outcomes. He cited what he described as anomalous pay-grade and salary increases for specific employees, including an example where one employee gained an eight-grade jump and a $9,000 increase in the study’s placement. He also described a program-administrator market-rate increase of 98% and salary growth of 80% between 2014 and 2022 in one role, figures he attributed to the study’s benchmarking. Day questioned whether supervisors' prior involvement with the consulting process and adjustments to job analysis questionnaires affected outcomes.
Day concluded by saying he believed the credibility of the 2022 compensation study — which covered more than 1,500 employees — was “beginning to fall apart” and called for explanation and transparency from the council and staff.
Why it matters: Compensation studies inform pay structures and can have significant budgetary and equity implications across the workforce. Public scrutiny of the study's methodology and outcomes can prompt staff responses or further review.
Next steps: Day requested an explanation of how the study treated particular positions and any changes made to job analysis materials; no specific council response is recorded in the transcript.
