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Consultant urges narrower steps and bigger annual raises in Takoma Park pay study
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Summary
A consultant told the Takoma Park City Council that the city’s existing 32-step pay system leaves employees behind market rates at higher steps and recommended switching to an 18-step plan with 3% increases between steps, along with classification and job-description updates.
Evergreen Solution presented a compensation and classification study to the Takoma Park City Council on the evening’s agenda, recommending changes the firm said would bring the city roughly in line with peer jurisdictions.
The consultant said the city’s current pay ranges are relatively narrow: on average Takoma Park’s minimums are about 1.8% above peer minimums, midpoints about 1.7% below peers, and maximums about 3.9% below peers. Evergreen recommended moving general employees from a 32-step, 1.5% annual-step plan to an 18-step structure with 3% between steps, which the firm said would reduce long-term compression and better match market width.
The report also recommended standardizing job titles and updating job descriptions produced during employee outreach and focus groups. Evergreen said those changes would reduce pay inequities, improve clarity for hiring and promotions, and permit more consistent policy administration.
City Manager Desperto told council that the proposed FY27 budget includes some funding to begin implementing anticipated adjustments, but staff and council must weigh cost and timing during ongoing union negotiations. “We are in the midst of negotiations with both of our collective bargaining units,” Desperto said, and added that council would discuss implementation timing and magnitude as bargaining progresses.
Council members asked for job-by-job market comparisons and were told the consultant’s final report and exhibits (market-by-benchmark) have been provided to the city; the consultant said chapter 4 breaks down individual position comparisons. Council members also asked how an open-range or merit system compares; the presenter explained jurisdictions have moved toward open ranges for flexibility but that an 18-step plan with larger increments is one way to maintain structure while restoring competitiveness.
The mayor and council thanked Evergreen for the presentation. The city manager said staff will continue to review the consultants’ recommendations alongside bargaining strategy and budget constraints, and report back to council with implementation options.
The council did not take a formal vote on adopting the study’s recommendations at the meeting; next steps were described as continued negotiations and budget-implementation decisions in the FY27 process.
