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Assembly presses consultants on sustainability of pay study that targets above‑market wages
Summary
Condrey & Associates presented a pay-classification plan that places borough jobs near the 75th percentile (plan B) or 5% higher (plan A). Assembly members praised competitiveness but raised sustainability concerns and requested equity adjustments and a five‑year wage history; consultants agreed to produce revised options.
Consultants from Condrey & Associates presented a new classification and compensation plan to the Bristol Bay Borough Assembly on Jan. 5, saying the study places borough positions near the third quartile of the market to help recruit and retain staff in an expensive, off‑road community.
Dr. Condrey, who led the presentation, said the firm’s recommendations would put many jobs above the market median: plan B targets roughly the third quartile (about the 75th percentile), while plan A raises that initial placement about 5 percentage points higher. "Plan A takes that further and moves it 5 more percent higher," the consultant said, adding the approach recognizes the borough’s higher cost of living and remote location.
Several assembly members welcomed the emphasis on recruitment but pressed consultants on long‑term affordability. One member said the study “begins with the assumption that the borough should be positioned at the 70‑fifth percentile of the market,” and argued that starting at the high end makes the analysis confirm current pay rather than test whether the structure is sustainable for a small borough. The consultant noted the initial equity adjustment is a one‑time implementation cost and described the ongoing step or merit decisions as discretionary for the assembly.
The consultants provided two implementation numbers: plan A would cost about 3.82 percent of current payroll to implement initially, while plan B was estimated at about 2.89 percent of payroll. The firm said equity adjustments and other refinements could reduce one‑time implementation costs.
Assembly members asked for two follow‑ups: (1) a revised report showing equity adjustments and lower‑cost implementation scenarios, and (2) a five‑year horizontal wage history showing where current positions stood in 2021 and where they are now. Consultants agreed to prepare alternatives and meet again before the budget process.
The assembly framed the study as a starting point for a workshop; members emphasized that adopting a new compensation scale does not automatically require annual automatic increases, and that step increases or COLA remain discretionary budget decisions. The assembly took no final action on salaries at the Jan. 5 meeting and directed staff to set a workshop to review alternatives and affordability scenarios.
