Officials discuss resetting pay baseline to 51st percentile to stay competitive

A committee member said the council needs to know “what others are doing” before agreeing to pay changes, warning that the municipality should avoid setting rates that are markedly higher than neighboring jurisdictions.

A staff member replied that the state typically releases budget numbers earlier and that staff will survey surrounding jurisdictions to ensure any adjustment is defensible to the public. “We will survey the other jurisdictions around our area because my goal is not only to keep us competitive but also keep us comparable,” the staff member said.

The staff member described the compensation study as a reset of the municipality’s baseline pay to a benchmark meant to reflect the local labor market. “My goal is for us to be at the 51st percentile,” the staff member said, adding that the intent is to position the municipality just above the median to maintain a recruiting edge.

The staff member gave an example of how the benchmark would be used: when recruiting — for instance, for “a land planner with 10 years of experience” — the benchmark would indicate the likely pay needed to attract candidates. The staff member also said headcount is expected to grow with the population and increased service demand, and that the benchmark would serve as a starting point for salary decisions in the next budget cycle.

The discussion remained at the planning stage: staff said it will gather peer data and integrate findings into next year’s budget work, while members stressed that cumulative increases should be tracked so future adjustments do not move the municipality too far from comparable communities.