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Consultant tells Montrose council the city is near market in pay study; proposed structure adds ~1.7% to payroll
Summary
A consultant from DDA Associates presented a compensation and classification study recommending a grade-and-step system; the estimated cost to place employees on the proposed structure is about 1.71%, and the city will need to coordinate job-description updates and upcoming labor negotiations.
DDA Associates consultant Mark Goldberg presented the results of a compensation and classification study to the Montrose City Council, describing the methodology, market comparisons and a recommended grade-and-step salary structure intended to make internal classifications equitable and externally competitive.
Goldberg said the firm compiled 2026 market information across peer cities and counties, matched jobs based on rosters, and used the public-sector job-evaluation instrument JET to score positions on factors such as qualifications, decision making, problem solving, relationships and hazards. The proposed structure uses roughly 10 grades with nine steps per grade and typical grade differentials between 5% and 15%.
According to the consultant, placing employees into the proposed ranges and steps would have an overall fiscal impact of approximately 1.71% on payroll. The consultant recommended common practices for jobs paid above range maxima (for example, freezing pay or using lump-sum COLA payments) and noted the city could separate structure placement from a separate Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) policy.
Council members asked how the structure would interact with upcoming labor negotiations; staff said they expect to begin negotiations around the end of July and would use the study as a guide, not as a finalized pay decision. The consultant emphasized that job descriptions drive the evaluation and that if descriptions change staff should expect to re-evaluate placements.
What’s next: The study will inform job-description revisions and upcoming contract negotiations; staff will return with any implementation options and cost estimates tied to an adopted schedule.
