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Fort Worth begins citywide classification study; $18 entry rate proposed, final recommendations due May 2026
Summary
Interim HR director Holly Moyer and staff described a citywide classification and compensation study led with Segal Consulting. The study collected more than 1,900 job-description questionnaires, aims to address pay compression, and will deliver compensation-philosophy recommendations in early 2026; an $18 entry rate is already proposed for FY26.
Holly Moyer, interim HR director, briefed the Fort Worth City Council on a citywide classification and compensation study that will inform future pay structure decisions and address pay compression across the municipal workforce.
Moyer said the study — led by Segal Consulting — began with a citywide job-description questionnaire (JDQ) effort. Segal had expected 750–850 JDQs, Moyer said, but employees submitted more than 1,900 completed JDQs. The study covers roughly 450–550 job titles and about 4,500 positions; it does not include civil-service fire or police classifications, Moyer said.
Moyer said the study will produce a job architecture and a compensation philosophy and that Segal will present market-analysis findings and fiscal-impact recommendations in January–April 2026, with final results and recommendations scheduled for presentation in May 2026. Moyer said the study will examine compressed pay ranges at the lower skill levels where entry pay has approached or matched pay for higher-skilled roles.
The council heard that the city already proposes an $18 entry rate for the next budget cycle. Moyer and other staff said the city will still budget pay-for-performance increases next year (the city’s current pay-for-performance range is 0–7%, with budgeting assumptions centered near a 4% average). Council members asked whether the study’s timeline could be shortened to ensure findings inform the next budget cycle; Moyer said staff would seek efficiencies but made no promise to change the schedule.
Council members also asked about stakeholder outreach: Moyer said Segal held about 20 on-site meetings with department leadership and hosted multiple sessions for employees; she said over 750 employees attended informational presentations. Council members requested that staff share regional market-comparison data and the MIT study results at the June 17 session; staff agreed to provide updated information at that meeting.
No final council action on the study or on the $18 entry rate was recorded at the work session; staff said they will return with additional data and recommendations in the months ahead.
