City salary boost slated for 2023
In a Special Meeting of the Navasota City Council Monday, Nov. 28, City Manager Jason Weeks laid out plans for a proposed adjustment of approximately $1 million to city employee salaries, with new rates to be reflected in their Jan. 6, 2023, paycheck.
Weeks told council members, “We want to bring all of our employees at least up to the minimum. Anything after that, make adjustment within the new ranges. The next council meeting, [Dec. 12] we’ll be bringing the compensation pay plan schedule to you, as well as the philosophy for implementing that for this coming year.”
Participating in the workshop virtually was HRCC, LLC, Project Manager and Lead Compensation Consultant Katie Busch who walked council members through the Compensation Study and Proposed Pay Plan Schedule.
According to Weeks, after going out for bids, the City hired HRCC in May. Since that time, HRCC has worked closely with Human Resources and other department heads reviewing and preparing job descriptions and salaries for comparison.
The surveyed agencies included the Cities of Bastrop, Brenham, Bryan, Buda, College Station, Conroe, Elgin, Granbury, Lockhart, Tomball, Wharton, Woodway and Grimes County. Busch pointed out that just because a city is larger, it doesn’t necessarily pay more.
Minimum of $15 per hour
Weeks said, “One thing we implemented beginning Oct. 1, any employee who was fulltime and making less than $15 an hour, we’ve already adjusted those employees to $15 an hour. However, our new pay scale will start at $15 an hour and everything works up from that. Then we are requesting an across-the-board 3.5% salary increase for all employees. We’re bringing them to minimum and then pushing them a little further.”
According to Weeks this will add flexibility when the City steps up hiring in February and avoids bringing in a new hire at a rate higher than an existing employee.
Weeks continued, “The other piece is we’re going to adjust for internal equity based on where you should be within the range based on time in the position. Some of our employees have been in their positions for some time. Somewhere between the minimum, the midpoint and max is where they’ll end up landing.”
Needs breakdown
According to Weeks, 61% or $500,000 of the $995,000, relates to public safety employees – police, fire and animal services.
Economic development, quality of life employees, administration and finance make up 5-10%. Public works employees make up 11% at nearly $90,000 across 31 employees.
Weeks said, “Breaking it down a little bit further, of that $900,000 nearly $180,000 or 22%, was in eight employees. That’s how far behind we were in paying employees. Half of those were public safety and the other were non-public safety employees.”
Weeks has often commented that the starting pay for police officers is lower than that of beginning teachers. The proposed new grade minimum for a police officer is $53,000 with a midpoint of $58,889 and maximum of $64,778. The proposed new grade minimum for a firefighter/driver is $50,000, with a midpoint of $55,556 and maximum of $61,111.
Forward thinking
According to Weeks, the ‘jobs map’ created by HRCC also addresses positions which don’t currently exist. Weeks cited the flexibility it provides as they seek hiring a building inspector, or possible future positions such as an emergency services coordinator, a fire Marshall or even a Mainstreet Manager if Navasota pursues becoming a Mainstreet City.
Weeks said, “This is not just today. We are forward thinking, what it’s going to be in the future.”