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Avon council reviews plan to simplify pay structure, estimates $180,000 one-time cost to align wages
Summary
A consultant recommended collapsing Avonthe town 10-grade classification and a market-based pay schedule set at the 55th percentile were proposed; full, immediate implementation to bring below-range employees up and add step movement would add about $180,000 beyond typical general wage increases, councilors were told.
A consultantpresented to the Avon Town Council on Dec. 4 a proposed overhaul of the townpay and classification plan intended to simplify 22 existing grades into 10 and to align non-union salaries with market benchmarks.
Town Manager (unnamed) and Rachel Skaggs, Director of Human Capital for MGT Consulting, told the Council the study places pay ranges at the 55th percentile of comparable Connecticut municipalities and recommends defined step movement for lower grades and a blended step/open range for department-head grades. Skaggs said the job evaluation used nine factors and compared positions to similar roles in nearby towns.
Why it matters: the proposed plan affects more than half of Avonemployees who are unaffiliated with unions, setting a new structure that the Manager described as the basis for consistent pay decisions going forward. The Manager said the unaffiliated payroll is approximately $6.4 million and that implementing both step movement where it does not presently exist and raising employees who fall below the new grade minima would cost about $180,000 if done all at once; routine general wage increases remain separate.
Council discussion focused on implementation and fairness. Mrs. Bratton pressed whether steps and general increases are automatic or merit-based; the Town Manager said general wage increases are automatic absent performance issues, step movement is normally automatic at an employeeanniversary but management retains discretion for performance concerns, and that Grades 9 and 10 would receive step increases to midpoint then move to manager discretion for further increases. "This is a matter of housekeeping," the Town Manager said, noting the last full study was more than two decades ago.
Rachel Skaggs described the methodology: a job analysis questionnaire completed by employees, supervisor comments, virtual interviews, and market salary ranges rather than single-salary comparisons. She said the plan is designed to keep Avon at about the 55th percentile to attract and retain staff without overspending.
Next steps: Councilors expressed support for studying implementation within the upcoming budget process; the item will return for further Council consideration in January so the Town can weigh affordability and phased approaches to implementation.
Sources: Presentation and Q&A with the Town Manager and Rachel Skaggs, MGT Consulting, Avon Town Council meeting, Dec. 4, 2025.
