Council sets market wages for city employees

Maricopa’s City Council voted unanimously to adopt a compensation plan to make the city a more competitive employer and to help retain their current staff.

This decision came after results from a salary study indicated that 91 percent of city employees are paid under the market rate for their positions.

The new policy will offer market rate salaries and benefit packages, as well as a performance-based evaluation and merit system for promotions. The evaluation system will go into effect in July.

The market rate policy the city adopted offers a flexibility range that allows managers to offer new hires pay based on variables like experience, education, certifications and others. In addition, employee salaries won’t exceed the pay range. If it already exceeds the range, then it will not be lowered.

The independent study looked at jobs and salaries from 27 local government employers to determine their competitiveness.

“We used some caution with respect to agencies that are significantly larger,” said study analyst Matthew Weatherly.

In addition, council adopted recommendations to increase existing salaries that are under market rates for their positions in a 5 – 1 vote with Councilman Will Dunn voting against it. Councilman Edward Farrell was not in attendance.

“Give them an $800,000 raise just because the other guy is? I don’t know if that’s the right response,” Dunn said.

Mayor Kelly Anderson said that it is important that the city retains its current staff, which is currently lower than most city governments its size.

City Manager Rick Buss said they need to consider that city governments are not the only field they are competing with for employees.

He cited engineering as a field that is highly competitive. He said there just aren’t enough of them, and private industry needs them as much as the city.

“Everyone is after the same individual,” he said. He also mentioned that additional costs go into replacing an employee.