Alamance County approves pay-plan implementation after Baker Tilly study; board votes 3-1

The Alamance County Board of Commissioners voted 3-1 to implement a pay-plan recommendation drawn from a three-phase market study by consultancy Baker Tilly, approving the action effective Jan. 1 and charging $207,142 to the countyHR budget for the remainder of the fiscal year.

The decision follows a presentation by Sarah Town, consulting manager on Baker Tillyclassification and compensation team, who described methodology, peer benchmarking and two implementation scenarios. Town said the consultant took about 126 positions (roughly 35%) to market this year, found the countypay structure to be competitive at minimums and midpoints but below market at maximums, and recommended adjustments that would realign 40 classifications out of 379 total.

"In total, we took 126 or about 35% of the total positions in the county to market," Town said during the presentation.

Town outlined two implementation approaches: (1) move employees whose current salary falls below new minimums up to those minimums and leave other salaries unchanged; or (2) apply a time-and-position progression that awards 2% per year from the new minimum (capped at nine years, a theoretical maximum of about 18%). Town said Baker Tilly does not recommend pay decreases and that adjustments are applied to positions, not individuals.

County Manager Miss York outlined cost estimates before the vote, saying the full-year cost would be about $414,000 and that a six-month implementation had been budgeted; under the recommended timing the county would record $207,142 to the HR budget for the remainder of the fiscal year. "Implement this effective January 1 at a cost of $207,142 coming from our HR budget," Miss York said.

Commissioners questioned the choice of peer organizations used for benchmarking, including the inclusion of Durham County, and pressed the consultant on whether the study established that the county was losing employees to neighboring governments. Town said peer selection was established in year one based on turnover data, exit interviews and department-head input and that the consultant adjusts for geographic cost-of-labor differences to standardize comparisons.

A motion to implement the recommended scenario was made, seconded and approved on a 3-1 vote; one commissioner voiced opposition during the roll call. The board did not adopt any measure to reduce positions or implement salary decreases as part of the action; Baker Tilly reiterated it does not recommend reducing individual salaries.

The consultant and county staff said the action is intended to keep the county competitive for recruitment and retention and to continue periodic market reviews. The board also discussed next steps for additional study of sworn law-enforcement positions and said staff would return with cost details related to any separate sworn-pay plan proposals.

The board expects the implementation to be processed through HR and the county's payroll system as a standard budgeted personnel action.