Pay study recommends 75th‑percentile anchoring; council approves public‑safety salary adjustment

Henderson City staff presented a market analysis and recommended pay ranges at the Aug. 19 meeting and the council approved an add‑on public‑safety salary adjustment during the session.

Human Resources Director Jamie Dittmeyer said the City worked with Michael Maciekowich of Astron Solutions on a pay classification study covering 70 competitive positions (about 140 employees and $6.6 million of payroll). Maciekowich told the council that anchoring pay at the 75th market percentile would make the City more competitive for recruitment and retention; the study recommended pay ranges with a midpoint and minimum/maximum 25% below/above that midpoint and described a six‑grade system (A–F) to allow horizontal career paths. He said Police and Fire classifications were developed individually and noted a recommended Police Officer I minimum salary of $60,000 per year.

Mayor Melissa Elliott noted broader staff pay implications and recommended approval of the add‑on public safety adjustment; council minutes record a motion and unanimous approval for the public safety salary adjustment (recorded in the minutes as Resolution 24‑48). The minutes also refer to further implementation work — including placing employees into ranges based on competency and tenure and developing range‑top responsibilities for senior staff — and indicate that the full pay study will guide additional steps for all departments.

Staff did not present a complete citywide implementation schedule or the full cost of moving all employees to the proposed ranges during this meeting; those fiscal impacts will be developed as the implementation phase proceeds.