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Delaware County approves implementation of compensation study capped at $4.4 million after debate
Summary
Delaware County Council voted to implement a compensation-study pay structure, a plan the executive director said will be managed within a $4.4 million budget cap and raises the minimum for nonbargaining positions to $15; one council member voted no, seeking more time to review the data.
Delaware County Council voted Feb. 4 to approve a compensation-study pay structure recommended by consultants at Bolton Partners, authorizing implementation of updated pay grades for county positions with a budget cap of $4.4 million.
Executive Director Barbara O'Malley told the council the study reviewed roughly 2,900 employees and 803 job titles and produced new pay grades with a minimum, midpoint and maximum for each title. She said the implementation plan includes employer taxes and overtime estimates and that the $4.4 million figure is a budget cap, not a guaranteed spend: "I can say very confidently that we are below the $4,400,000 to implement the compensation study," she said.
The plan sets a $15 minimum wage for all nonbargaining county positions and proposes market adjustments for employees whose current pay falls below the new grade structure. O'Malley said the county has been in a hiring freeze while the study was completed and described the proposal as a step to attract and retain workers and reduce pay compression between existing and incoming employees.
Council discussion included concerns about timing and completeness. One council member said she had asked to table the motion for additional data review and remained unconvinced the study had been sufficiently scrubbed; she said she could not support the approval and stated, "I'll be voting no." Executive Director O'Malley responded that human-resources staff had confirmed the figures include employer taxes, FICA and overtime estimates.
The motion was made and seconded and passed on a voice vote; the chair announced "the ayes have it." The council did not read a roll-call tally in the transcript.
What happens next: O'Malley said implementation steps and further details will be provided as the county moves to align current employees with the new pay-grade structure. The plan includes posting interim roles and continuing departmental work to finalize implementation within the budget cap.
