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City staff proposes five‑point performance scale and $8–$10 million in targeted pay adjustments
Summary
Fort Worth staff told council members the city will move to a five‑point performance scale and recommends targeted pay adjustments—estimated at roughly $8 million to $10 million—to bring employees closer to market midpoints, with recommendations based on years in grade rather than education.
City staff proposed changes intended to standardize how city employees are evaluated and how merit pay is distributed, saying the measures would bring greater consistency and better identify talent.
At a council briefing, a staff presenter said, "So we are moving to a 5 point scale for our performance management process," and described an expanded review process for fiscal year 2026 that will produce a consolidated report of rankings for city management to use in setting merit distributions.
The proposal includes what staff described as a roughly $8 million to $10 million budget range for recommended adjustments. Councilman Flores asked whether that amount would include higher‑tier employees, noting prior goals to raise starting pay to $20 per hour and earlier negotiations that had produced an $18.18 starting pay for some roles. The presenter replied the estimate targets "general schedule employees that have an indication that they need to move within their range," and said the recommendations will be based primarily on years in position and placement within a salary band, not on education level.
Staff explained the adjustments are intended to address pay compression and market movement that can leave long‑tenured employees below the band midpoint. One council member illustrated the effect: if a band is market‑adjusted upward, an employee who received only a small annual increase could fall further behind newer hires at the same level. The presenter cautioned that the city's ability to implement the full set of recommendations depends on overall budget outcomes and the chosen implementation strategy.
The discussion emphasized that the compensation change is only one element of a wider total‑rewards approach that includes benefits and wellness programs; staff said those components will also be considered as part of long‑term planning. No formal vote or motion was recorded at the briefing; staff said they will return to the council with options as the budget process proceeds.
Next steps: staff will refine implementation options during the budget process and return recommendations to the council for action.
