Consultant says Montrose pay structure is broadly market‑competitive; study estimates ~1.71% placement cost

Mark Goldberg of DDA Associates presented the city’s compensation and classification study, saying the main goal is to create an internally equitable, externally competitive system and to help the city comply with pay‑equity expectations. "The goal really is to give you a class and comp system that makes sense, 1 that is internally equitable," Goldberg said while outlining the JET job‑evaluation factors and market comparisons drawn from 2026 data.

Goldberg showed that most positions fall within a market range and summarized the recommended grade-and-step structure: nine steps per grade and 10 grades overall, with salary range widths similar to peer cities. He told the council the overall one‑time placement impact to align current pay to the proposed structure was approximately 1.71%. Goldberg answered questions about employees who currently sit above a new range, recommending a pay freeze or creative options such as lump-sum payments. Council members asked about timing and how the structure would interact with forthcoming labor negotiations; staff said negotiations would likely start late July and job‑description updates are expected.

The presentation included details about market matches, exclusion of outlier comparator data, and how pay‑range steps were intended to move employees toward market over time. The council did not take formal action but discussed using the study as a framework for later decisions, including how to handle COLA versus structure changes.