Treasurer outlines recruitment plan and cost to raise entry wages to reduce turnover

Pennington County Treasurer Ned Brandt asked the commission to consider changing entry-level pay to reduce turnover and the repeated training costs associated with replacing staff.

Brandt said he and staff calculated that increasing entry wages would require approximately $60,000 for the remainder of 2026 and roughly $197,000 in a full 2027 budget, noting those tallies did not fully account for healthcare costs. "If we open back up the phones, our phone is heavy... When we moved to this building, that was the plan, was to have 12 windows open," Brandt said, explaining part of the retention argument is improved customer service and reduced churn when positions are paid competitively.

Commissioners discussed the possibility of compression (paying new hires closer to incumbent wages) and asked Brandt and staff to model compression costs and how to phase any entry-wage changes. Brandt said he has begun to implement some hiring changes (two part-time positions to cover windows) and that any broader wage adjustments would require commission approval to address compression among existing staff.

The commission asked for detailed spreadsheets showing the compression scenarios and the net effect on the personnel budget so they can weigh retention benefits against overall payroll targets being considered in the provisional budget.