County approves fixes to step-and-grade pay scales, eliminates grade 511

Pottawattamie County supervisors on the record approved corrections to the county's step-and-grade pay scales, directing payroll staff to eliminate pay grade 511 and move identified employees into adjacent grades so they receive the board's approved increase without unintended compounding.

Payroll and HR staff told the board that a change last year produced a larger-than-intended jump between step 11 and step 12, leaving some employees facing an effective increase of about 8 percent when combined with the board's standard 3 percent top-step adjustment. Payroll staff proposed spacing step 11 and step 12 by 2.5 percent and placing employees already at step 12 into an off-scale "bucket" so everyone receives the 3 percent top-step raise rather than layered increases.

Board members discussed specific moves of affected employees across grades. Staff identified roughly eight employees moving from step 11 to step 12 and additional reassignments from grades 512 to 514 as part of the adjustment exercise. The board voted to eliminate grade 511 and to direct payroll employees to make the corresponding changes for grades 512 and 514.

The motion to eliminate grade 511 and authorize payroll to move employees into the next highest steps carried on a voice vote. Board members emphasized that the change should not reduce anyone's pay: the approved approach removes the unintended compounding but preserves the board-approved increases.

The county will update payroll records in time for the next payroll cycle and staff said they will coordinate with department heads to ensure job descriptions and placements align with the adjusted grades.