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Consultant says pay study moves Milford toward market‑competitive salaries; board seeks tax impact
Summary
Municipal Resources presented a pay‑and‑classification study recommending the 70th market percentile, 40% min‑to‑max ranges and cost estimates to raise below‑minimum employees (nonexempt ≈ $66,000; exempt ≈ $83,800 based on 40 employees). The board asked staff for a tax‑impact analysis before taking formal action.
Carol Granfield of Municipal Resources presented the town’s pay‑and‑classification study and recommended targeting the 70th percentile of comparable municipalities to improve recruitment and retention. “The goals of the project were to be able to attract and retain all qualified employees,” Granfield said. She described the methodology—job questionnaires, reviews of job descriptions, internal equity checks and a market blend of 13 comparator communities—and said the firm produced both exempt and nonexempt pay plans with a roughly 40% range from minimum to maximum.
Granfield gave cost estimates for bringing employees who fall below the proposed minimums up to the new floor: about $66,000 for the nonexempt group and about $83,800 for the exempt plan, figures she said were calculated with 40 employees identified as below the proposed minima. She recommended annually updating the plan with cost‑of‑living adjustments and redoing market surveys every three years.
Selectman Chris Labonte questioned gaps in the comparator data and whether some positions were omitted because they are contracted out rather than performed by town employees. Granfield explained missing entries occur when a comparator did not provide data or lacked a truly comparable position and said the firm adjusted by blending available market data with internal factors.
Board members asked whether the firm had produced total‑compensation comparisons that combine salary and benefits. Granfield said some communities undertake that analysis—often through carriers—to show the full cost of benefits; she recommended the town consider doing a total‑compensation exercise to illuminate differences in plans.
Town staff and the board praised the presentation as a useful baseline but requested more precise fiscal impacts before committing to specific wage changes. The board asked the finance director to produce formal cost and tax‑impact estimates and to explore phased or multi‑year implementation options. Granfield said many communities phase in larger increases to moderate fiscal impacts.
Next steps: staff will return with a tax‑impact sheet and implementation scenarios; the board did not take formal action at the Dec. 8 meeting.
