Jacksonville general counsel says pay compression, lost pension and high turnover hinder recruiting and retention

JacksonvilleOffice of General Counsel officials told the True Commission Thursday that persistent pay compression, the end of a defined-benefit pension for new hires and heavy turnover have made it difficult to recruit and retain experienced attorneys.

Michael Fackler, Office of General Counsel, told commissioners the office commissioned a compensation study and "we're approximately 26% out of market" when compared with private law firms the city competes with and "approximately 19% out of market" when broader public-sector comparators are included. He said the difference is driving hiring of new attorneys at salaries that exceed long-tenured staff, creating compression problems.

The wage study and pension change matter because, Fackler said, the cityoffice once relied on a defined-benefit pension as a retention tool. "All the new attorneys are not getting the pension benefits," he said, adding the office now offers a defined-contribution plan. He said the loss of the pension has removed an incentive that helped keep attorneys through multi-decade careers.

Why it matters: The general counsel said the office handles specialized, high-value legal work for the city and for…