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City presents human-capital plan; HR flags pay gaps at upper steps and proposes market adjustments
Summary
HR presented the city's pay structures and staffing metrics: pay and benefits make up about 75% of general fund costs, the city is proposing 11 new funded positions and a 3% COLA in the preliminary budget, and HR identified market lag at upper pay-step maxima for multiple classifications.
Jill Minette, the HR lead, told commissioners that pay and benefits account for roughly three-quarters of general fund spending and that the city uses a 27‑grade, 11‑step pay structure for most positions. She said the city implemented a total‑compensation philosophy in 2025 and proposed a 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment factored into the preliminary budget. "Pay and benefits makes up about 75% of the general fund expenses," Jill said while walking through the pay-structure charts.
The HR presentation noted that many employees are at the top of their grades — "39% of our fire employees who are at maximum" and roughly 37% for sworn police on their pay grade — which creates retention and competitiveness challenges at the top end of the structure. Commissioners asked for the comparator-city list, the methodology behind market surveys, and documentation supporting proposed market adjustments. Staff said market-survey detail and links to the Employment Cost Index (ECI) would be circulated to commissioners ahead of the finance committee meeting.
