Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Salary Structure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
What the new 20‑step salary model will change for county pay
Summary
HR recommended replacing the county's 25‑step pay structure with a 20‑step model (1.5% spacing, 8% aging) to improve transparency, align market placement lower (from step 8 toward step 4), and reduce administrative complexity; commissioners approved the change.
Commissioners approved a structural change to the county salary scale: a move from a 25‑step structure to a 20‑step model designed to better match market hiring levels and simplify budget forecasting.
Nicole, the HR consultant, explained the proposal would remove or merge early entry steps (roughly steps 1–3) and compress top steps so the county can align the market step from the existing step 8 to closer to step 4. "You're using a lot of your steps early in your process of the 25 that you have," she said, adding that the change "improves transparency" and "simplifies your budgeting."
The model includes an 8% aging adjustment to recalibrate current ranges and uniform 1.5% spacing between steps going forward. Nicole said the model is intended to reduce administrative time by giving employees a clearer path for salary movement while protecting those already high in a range through the hold‑harmless policy the commission adopted.
Commissioners discussed practical implications such as which employees will require internal‑equity adjustments and how the new step definitions alter the meaning of an annual step. HR will map current employee placements to the new 20‑step model and identify so‑called 'red‑circle' cases for separate handling.
