Cooke County OKs $32,500 contract to benchmark pay and benefits

The Cooke County Commissioners on Thursday approved a professional services agreement with Public Sector Personnel Consultants Inc. to conduct a compensation benchmark study and a benefits comparison, authorizing a budget amendment and spending not to exceed $32,500.

Jody Henry, JP 1, who represented the county’s salary‑study committee, told the court the committee completed phase one — job descriptions — and recommended moving to phase two, which compares county job classifications with 12 peer entities and evaluates benefit packages. "We've completed phase 1 of the salary study," Henry said, and the consultant's proposal estimates a 75– to 90‑day turnaround.

Commissioners asked whether the $30,000 base fee plus $2,500 for benefits data was a firm total. Committee members and staff pointed to the professional services agreement in the packet and said the contract includes a not‑to‑exceed cap: the consultant will not bill more than the indicated amount absent a contract modification. The court approved the motion, which included a budget amendment for Human Resources, on a 5–0 vote.

The contract covers benchmarking against roughly a dozen comparable entities and a presentation of recommended ranges the county can use to set recruitment and retention targets. County officials said the benefits comparison is important to understand total compensation and to inform future budget decisions.

The committee and staff said they vetted the consultant and rejected higher bids that exceeded the committee’s budget. The contract documents and the proposal referenced flexibility in the scope of work, but county staff emphasized the agreement as written sets the maximum payable amount.

Next steps include the consultant’s data collection and presentation; the consultant’s timeline is expected to be completed within the stated 75–90 days once work begins.