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Reston board flags pay gaps in compensation study as major 2025 budget driver
Summary
At a special meeting, Reston Association leaders reviewed a compensation benchmarking study staff said shows a large share of employees fall below competitive pay ranges; staff proposed phased options and warned a full catch-up would cost seven figures, with a draft budget due Sept. 11.
The Reston Association Board heard on Aug. 21 that a recent compensation benchmarking study shows many staff are paid below market and that correcting those gaps will be a significant driver of the 2025 budget.
"76% of the staff are outside what is generally competitive," the CEO said while presenting the study results and added that bringing all positions to the midpoint of market ranges would be a "seven-figure plus" cost and is not recommended as a single-year proposal. Staff said any market adjustments would likely be phased and tied to a broader merit process.
The CEO outlined the budget schedule: staff will deliver the first draft on Sept. 11, the board will receive that draft at its Sept. 12 meeting (for information), the fiscal committee will review and make recommendations on Sept. 18, and the board expects to act later in the fall with adoption planned for November. Ed Pi, the staff lead scheduled to compile the draft, will prepare scenarios showing phased compensation adjustments and associated assessment impacts.
Directors pressed for detail on which positions were identified as "flight risks," how many roles fall below recruitment thresholds, and for clearer language where the study produced ambiguous values. Several directors emphasized the need to balance staff retention against assessment pressures on members. The CEO said staff will provide options that show the fiscal trade-offs and implementation timelines rather than a single, large-dollar request.
What happens next: staff will produce a first-draft budget and compensation scenarios for the Sept. 11 distribution, and the board will review those figures in September and October before final decisions later in the year.
