Gardner City committee recommends pay-scale overhaul that recognizes up to 75% of prior city service

An ad hoc Gardner City committee voted to recommend the full City Council adopt an ordinance creating a new compensation step schedule that recognizes up to 75% of prior city service (capped at 10 years) and would be retroactive to July 1 for most positions, the committee heard.

The ordinance, presented at the committee meeting, separates department-head pay from other staff by using longer intervals and larger step increases for top management and shorter intervals with smaller step increases for hourly, direct-supervisory and support staff. The presenter said the proposal adds positions that had been excluded from prior drafts, including seasonal recreation staff and other job classifications.

Why it matters: committee members said the change is intended to improve employee retention and clarify progression while keeping the city’s wage structure affordable. The presenter told the committee the package would cost about $110,000 to implement and that the current draft is roughly $30,000 less than the presenter’s original proposal and about $10,000 less than a finance-committee alternative.

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