Oakland County committee recommends pay-grade increases for water resource engineering staff to retain specialists

The Oakland County Economic Development & Infrastructure Committee recommended that the Board of Commissioners approve upward adjustments to salary grades for three Water Resources Commissioner classifications, citing staff retention concerns and no impact on the county general fund.

The recommendation, advanced at the committee meeting, would raise the chief engineer grade from 108 to 120 and move the special projects managers from grade 114 to 126, the water resources office told commissioners. The office said the increases affect existing employees and would be paid from the drain revolving fund associated with the water systems, not the county general fund.

"The chief engineer would go up from a 108 to a 120, special projects and managers would go up to 126 from 114," Water Resources Commissioner Nash said during the discussion. Nash said a third-party pay study covering 2022–23 showed leadership pay lagging market medians and noted recent departures to Great Lakes Water Authority.

Commissioners asked whether the increases would apply only to new hires or also to current staff and whether employees had signaled they were planning to leave. Nash and staff member Kelsey confirmed the requested adjustments apply to current employees; most incumbents in the affected classifications are at the top of existing ranges and would move to the top of the newly proposed ranges. Nash said she had lost "1 chief engineer and 2 managers to Great Lakes Water Authority" in the past decade.

Commissioner Johnson moved the recommendation; Commissioner Marco supported the motion. Committee members discussed that the action will not affect the county general fund because the positions are funded from rates paid into the drain fund. The committee chair then called the vote and reported the motion carried.

The committee did not change the county salary administration plan itself; it recommended classification-grade exceptions for positions within the Water Resources Commissioner's office for the Board of Commissioners to approve at its next meeting.

Questions raised in committee included how step increases and merit increases work (staff explained annual merit steps and that most affected employees are at top of current ranges), and whether the office had seen active recruitment by other agencies (Nash said departures had occurred in the past but current staff had not made explicit threats to leave).

The committee recorded the motion and outcome in its minutes and moved the recommendation to the full board for final approval.