Council committee postpones vote on executive pay ranges and classification changes after wide-ranging questions

Members of the Annapolis Finance Standing Committee postponed two interrelated items — R 5324 (changes to executive pay ranges) and R 5424 (classification/title changes and career-ladder adjustments) — after prolonged discussion on Dec. 11 about internal equity, comparator jurisdictions and the mechanics of implementing changes.

Staff and consultants recommended moving to an open pay-range structure for executive and nonrepresented positions and offered a new grade structure intended to align internal pay relationships. Assistant City Manager/HR staff described the consultant recommendation as two parts: adopting open ranges and setting the start/stop values. Staff said the payroll rules (internal rules and regulations) will be updated to control hiring above step 1, establish justification for step placement and preserve internal equity protections (for example, to avoid hiring someone at a higher rate than a supervisor). Staff also said nonrepresented and bargaining-unit pay adjustments will be governed by payroll rules and performance-review timing.

Council members raised multiple concerns: how long the new ranges are intended to remain in effect; whether deputies and assistant managers would be placed below department directors despite performing substantial operational duties; how historical efforts to equalize director pay were applied; whether police and fire chiefs (and their recruitment markets) are adequately reflected; and how long-serving employees would be protected from undercut by higher-paid new hires. Aldermen asked staff for a title-by-title list showing current salaries and how each position would map to the new ranges. Several members said some positions that were created in the FY25 budget remain unfilled because official job titles and grade assignments were not finalized.

Because of these outstanding questions the chair moved and members approved postponement of action on both R 5324 and R 5424 to a future Finance Committee meeting. Staff agreed to prepare detailed mappings of titles to new grades, provide per-title salary information, and consider amendments that preserve the city council’s intended reporting line for the council’s legislative assistant position.