Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Compensation Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cascade Charter Township adopts compensation policy after third-party wage study
Summary
The township board unanimously adopted a 26-page compensation policy and accepted a third‑party wage study intended to standardize pay grades, reduce subjectivity in merit increases and keep the township competitive; managers said no current employees will see pay reductions.
Cascade Charter Township’s board voted to adopt a comprehensive compensation policy and accept a third‑party wage study aimed at standardizing pay, addressing internal inequities and improving recruitment and retention. The motion, made by Trustee Shipley and supported by Treasurer (name recorded in roll call), passed by voice vote.
Manager Smith said the township contracted with a firm called Raymond to conduct a wage study after identifying “large discrepancies between grade levels” and difficulties recruiting for several posted positions. The study compared Cascade’s roles with those in similar communities; staff then created a 26‑page policy to place positions on a graded wage scale. “No current employees are being negatively affected at all,” Manager Smith said, adding the policy provides a clear, position‑based framework rather than relying on subjective merit increases.
The policy includes a formal reclassification process: employees or supervisors can complete a job‑analysis questionnaire and staff will apply a 10‑factor scoring system to assign duties to an appropriate grade level. Manager Smith said the HR director will retain scoring details to preserve impartiality. “It keeps it unbiased,” Smith said, describing the review as a way to prevent ad hoc raises driven by personal preference.
Board members pressed for budget clarity. Manager Smith and finance staff said the FY25 budget included an allocation for the study and that contingency lines exist in each fund that pays wages; any redistribution of contingency funding into department budgets would require subsequent board approval via budget amendment. “There is definitely more than enough funding in the current budget to cover this new plan,” a finance staff member said.
Several trustees expressed support for the third‑party review while noting concerns that removing a separate merit component could limit recognition for high performers. One trustee said merit increases had sometimes been “subjective and not documented” in the past; Manager Smith acknowledged that inconsistency and said the new methodology aims to make adjustments transparent and defensible.
The board’s motion adopted the policy as presented and accepted the wage‑study recommendations. The policy as approved instructs HR to publish the new pay scale and implement the reclassification procedure; the board will consider recommended budget amendments when staff brings them forward.
