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Commissioners on promotion steps and certification pay: county to review handbook and consider certification bump
Summary
Commissioners discussed pay-step effects when county employees move into certified mapping or appraisal roles, directed staff to review the handbook and legal constraints, and asked HR/administrator to draft options for the next work session.
Commissioners discussed a case in which a long-serving county employee who is close to completing mapping certification would lose longevity or step placement if moved into a certified position. The discussion focused on whether the county handbook or pay scale permits step adjustments for internal promotions, and commissioners asked legal counsel and administration to explore options.
Why it matters: Commissioners said the county risks losing institutional knowledge or underpaying promoted staff if handbook rules force staff to "start over" on steps when they move to a certified position.
What was said
- A commissioner said the employee "would go back to the table a with no longevity" and that a promotion could reset her step level despite 10–12 years of service (Speaker 3).
- Participants noted that appraisal positions historically received a pay bump on certification; mapping had not consistently received the same bump. "We didn't do it for the MAPRA. We only did it in the appraisal," a staff speaker said (Speaker 6).
- Commissioners asked County Attorney (referred to in the transcript as Jason) to review whether the handbook can build in step-placement flexibility for internal promotions and to propose language for the handbook. They also asked Emily and Jason to prepare a plan for presentation at the next work session.
Actions and next steps
- Staff were directed to return with a legal review and recommended handbook language. The commission suggested possible solutions: (a) structured step credit for years of service when employees move to a new grade, (b) an explicit certification bonus or lump-sum payment, or (c) targeted step adjustments at hiring within the county to recognize internal experience.
Ending
Commissioners deferred any immediate pay changes and asked staff to draft options, including whether a $1,500 certification bump (discussed as a possibility in the meeting) or step adjustments could be implemented countywide; they placed the item on next month's work-session agenda.
