Cheyenne leaders propose shorter step progression, 3% merit raise and employee development pilot

Mayor Patrick Collins and city staff outlined a package of compensation changes at the May 1 City & County work session aimed at improving recruitment and retention for the City of Cheyenne.

The proposal would shorten the existing step progression from 35 years to 25 years so employees advance to top pay grades faster, include a 3% merit increase in the 2027 budget and establish a professional‑development reimbursement program that would partially pay for degrees or certifications in exchange for a multi‑year retention commitment.

Mayor Patrick Collins said the city employs 394 non‑uniform full‑time and 310 part‑time workers and that the administration wants Cheyenne to be an "employer of choice" by ensuring employees are properly compensated. "We do a compensation study every 2 years... a couple of years ago we adopted a step program," Collins said, describing the plan to move from a 35‑year model to a 25‑year model so annual step increases better reflect career progression.

Director Darren, who led the compensation presentation, said the existing 35‑year step model produced step increments that were too small and too slow to prevent pay compression. He told the council the proposed 25‑year schedule would increase annual step amounts and that the budget recommendation also includes a 3% merit raise "to reward our employees for exemplary service." Director Darren said the city’s voluntary turnover is currently 11.73 percent (12.97 percent including involuntary terminations) and that turnover and recruitment costs can exceed the cost of retaining staff.

Staff described how pay grades are benchmarked every two years using a peer compensation consultant and salary surveys from public employers; the city cited a relationship with Mountain States Employers Council to source comparable municipal pay data rather than private‑sector matches. The presenters said the city targets its midpoint and reported current pay averages near the midpoint (reported in the presentation as roughly the 90th percentile relative to that midpoint benchmark).

The proposed professional‑development reimbursement program would be designed for employees seeking credentials or degrees that enable career progression within the city. Chief of Staff Amber Ash said the program is a pilot and that managers would set eligibility criteria and require participants to remain employed for a specified period — staff said three years is the current expectation and that employees who leave early would repay or prorate the reimbursement. "We would help pay for them to advance in their career field," Ash said, describing examples such as a bookkeeper who needs a degree to qualify as an accountant.

Councilmembers pressed staff on several practical points. Councilmember (Dr.) Emmons and others asked whether the city already pays for required, job‑critical certifications; staff and a finance staff member, Robin, said required licenses and some ongoing certification costs (for example, a CPA license) are currently paid by the city, while the new program targets additional education and credentials intended to move employees into higher‑level roles. "The city pays for my CPA license annual fees," Robin said when asked about ongoing certification costs.

Councilmember Wolf asked about comparable turnover benchmarks; staff pointed to a national SHRM benchmark (about 13.5 percent voluntary turnover) and described an internal wage calculator employees can use to model step progression. Several councilmembers asked whether the 3% merit would be awarded to all employees; staff said the 3% mirrors a raise given to the fire department and is proposed for full‑time, non‑uniform employees (and the presentation noted it was believed to include part‑time staff as well), while individual performance reviews and promotions remain tools for targeted raises.

Staff also addressed recruitment challenges for hard‑to‑fill positions — engineers, attorneys, IT staff, inspectors and CDL drivers — and said the budget includes a request for an HR recruiting specialist to focus on those roles. The presenters noted retirement contributions and eligibility are largely governed by the Wyoming retirement system and therefore outside the city's direct control.

No motions or formal votes were recorded during the hour‑long work session; staff said the compensation proposals are a precursor to upcoming budget deliberations and that more detail will be provided during the formal budget process.

The work session concluded with presenters thanking the council for the opportunity to present ahead of the budget process and the council adjourning without a vote.