Charles Town committee advances compensation study; asks cost estimates at 55th–65th percentiles and recommends 90% employer health premium

A Charles Town council personnel committee advanced recommendations from a draft compensation study on Tuesday, asking consultants to model the budget impact of moving pay levels to higher market percentiles and recommending that the city match employer health-premium contributions to 90 percent for open enrollment.

Rick, the consultant leading the study, told the committee the analysis used three “yardsticks”: external market pay, internal organizational structure and a job-analysis questionnaire completed by employees and supervisors. “The correlation between the two factors is 95%,” Rick said, describing how job scores lined up with market pay data.

The study’s high-level finding, Rick said, is that Charles Town’s overall pay is roughly 1.1% below the market middle; several senior-management titles and a mix of line roles — including water and wastewater operators and patrol ranks — were highlighted as substantially below market. Rick identified roughly 23 positions just below market and cited sample cost figures during the presentation (the consultant quoted specific dollar figures verbally in the meeting transcript).

Committee members asked the consultants to prepare detailed fiscal-impact scenarios showing the cost of moving pay targets to the 55th, 60th and 65th percentiles and to separate contract positions (city manager, city attorney, police chief) from the city’s regular budgeted positions. Brent Mann, Charles Town’s city manager, requested the same percentile breakdowns for budgeting purposes: “Is there a way you can show us what the numbers would be at the 60th percentile, for example?” Mann asked.

On benefits, the committee focused on employer premium contribution for health insurance during open enrollment. The benefits lead summarized that Charles Town and CTAB are generally ahead of the local market on benefits; one committee member said raising the employer share from 85% to 90% would cost “only $1,500 total” for the year, quoting the figure discussed in the meeting.

A committee member moved to recommend that the city council increase the employer PEIA contribution to match CTAB’s 90% level for open enrollment; the motion was seconded and the chair called the vote. The committee then instructed the consultants to return with the requested fiscal scenarios (55th, 60th and 65th percentiles) and to present a combined compensation-and-benefits PowerPoint to the full city council. The transcript does not include a formal roll-call tally in the record but shows the chair proceeding with the next steps after the vote.

Members also discussed vacation and leave accruals, noting Charles Town’s maximum vacation accrual (reported in the study as 20 days) is lower than state and market comparators, which can peak at 24 days or more depending on years of service. Consultants recommended comparing total leave (vacation, sick and personal days) against market medians and offered to provide alternative recommendations that would be easier to administer.

The committee asked for a follow-up personnel meeting and for the consultants to present the final recommendations to the city council on May 18. Consultants agreed to supply a PowerPoint showing separate fiscal impacts for Charles Town and CTUB and to exclude contract positions from the baseline city totals so council can clearly see negotiating impacts.

Next steps: consultants will prepare the percentile-cost scenarios and a benefits-cost summary for the committee and for the council presentation; the committee will reconvene to finalize recommendations before the council meeting.