Germantown committee postpones proposed 10% update to nonrepresented pay ranges

The General Government and Finance Committee unanimously voted to postpone consideration of a proposed 10% update to the village's 2026 pay-range schedule for nonrepresented employees until the end of the first quarter of 2026.

Support Services Manager Gosha Wurmsbacher explained the proposed range adjustments were based on a review of median pay ranges in comparable municipalities and said the change would bring Germantown's pay ranges closer to market levels. "Updating pay ranges does not necessarily automatically equal automatic pay raises to every single employee," Wurmsbacher said, adding the ranges are used for recruitment and internal evaluation.

The discussion grew into a broader debate about the village's budget constraints and committee oversight after members of the public and several trustees questioned the size and timing of the adjustment. A resident who spoke during public comment said large payroll increases would be unaffordable and urged the village to sell unused properties to shore up finances. An emailed public comment read into the record by the clerk asked for clarity on the origins and approvals for a previous 10% adjustment and whether the administrator could approve large pay increases without committee review.

Trustees said they were concerned that administrator-level approvals had overridden prior committee votes and requested stronger language to preserve the committee's role. "If we get usurped in any of our votes because of other regulations, then we need to button up any loopholes that we might have," Trustee Jan Miller said. Trustee Kaminski noted that many employees already earn above current maximums and questioned whether the range chart itself was the right tool for triggering raises.

After discussion, a trustee moved to postpone the item to the end of the first quarter of 2026. President Soderbergh indicated he would not place the matter on the village board agenda while staff and the committee address process concerns. The motion to postpone carried by voice vote.

Why it matters: The pay-range chart sets the salary bands the village uses for hiring and internal equity. Changing ranges can affect recruitment and may create expectations of pay adjustments for employees who would fall below newly established minimums. Trustees sought time to: (1) clarify when and how administrator-level pay approvals may be exercised; (2) review the supporting market comparisons and assumptions; and (3) consider a formal threshold or policy that would require the committee's review for large director-level adjustments.

Next steps: Staff will return with process clarifications and supporting benchmarking materials when the matter is rescheduled at the committee's end-of-Q1 meeting in 2026. The committee indicated that its goal is to retain the opportunity to review director-level increases above an agreed threshold before those increases can be implemented.

Votes and formal action: Motion to postpone consideration of the 2026 pay-range update until the end of Q1 2026: moved and seconded; carried by voice vote (unanimous).