A review of the City's Classification and Pay Plan is conducted annually to ensure that it remains competitive, allowing the City to achieve its stated budget goal of being able to "attract and retain the best talent available through maintaining competitive pay and fringe benefit programs." This annual review typically includes salary comparisons between selected Brentwood positions and those of several other relevant Tennessee governments as well as private-industry positions where applicable. The results are used to develop proposed modifications to the pay plan, which are incorporated each year into the proposed annual budget.
During the spring of 2022, employers and employees were hit with high inflation and a tight labor market. To keep pace, the City's immediately surrounding labor market competitors reacted swiftly, increasing job-hopping opportunities in the local market. The City of Brentwood responded by including significant pay, benefit, and certification pay adjustments into its FY 2023 budget. The City also modified the Classification and Pay Plan structure to allow more flexibility to deal with the unique circumstances experienced by some departments. What had been a unified pay plan was divided into four (4) groupings that separate employees by functional group: Public Safety-PS (sworn), Service Center-SC (field Operations), General Employees-GE, and Emergency Communications District-ECD.
To maintain competitive wages and fringe benefit programs it was vital to take the time ahead of this regular budget cycle to complete a more systematic and in-depth review of the classification and pay plan. In October 2022, the Board of Commissioners signed an agreement with Burris, Thompson & Associates for a classification and compensation study. The study involved a review of the City's existing compensation and benefits programs, job descriptions, department head interviews and an employee focus group. Salary market data was compiled of benchmarks with comparable demographics, similar operating philosophy, and/or proximity to Brentwood. All of these benchmarks participated in the Burris, Thompson & Associates' 2022 Public Sector Wage and Salary Survey. Because the City also competes with general business and industry for many City jobs, market data from general business and industry for those jobs were compiled from the Economic Research Institute Salary Assessor, January 2023.
Historically, the City has been competitive in the Salary Market with a target position equal to the 75th percentile. However, with the Great Resignation and increased options for work-from-home opportunities, a more aggressive effort is required to lead the local market and retain quality staff. Therefore, the City requested the compensation study be based on the target market position of the 90th percentile and a projection of the data out to July 1, 2024.
To assess the competitiveness of the City's current pay scales, Burris, Thompson & Associates calculated a current Pay Scale Market Index. Ideally these Pay Scale Indexes should be between 95% and 105% of job market rates. Overall, the City job pay-scale midpoints are at approximately 91% of the market rates for city jobs with half of the job pay range midpoints between 84% and 97% of the job market rates.
To assess the competitiveness of the City's current employee salaries, Burris, Thompson & Associates calculated a current Salary Market Index. Overall, City of Brentwood employee salaries are at approximately 90% of the Market Rates for the jobs with half of the employee salaries between 81% and 98% of job market rates. Salaries below 85% of the market rates are considered 'very low' relative to the City's desired labor market position of the 90th percentile.
Compensation Study recommendations:
- Thirty-four jobs with pay range midpoints significantly less than the desired market position should be moved up a pay grade to be more competitive.
- After reclassifying 34 jobs, the City's overall Pay Scale Market Index would be at 93%. The ideal overall Pay Scale Market Index should be at about 100%. The City should adjust all pay ranges by 6%-8% to more closely align pay scales with the desired position in the labor market.
City's recommended actions:
- Adjust Pay Plans 9.2% to account for 2023 and 2024 projected market adjustments
- Reclassify twenty-five (25) positions to keep positions competitive
- Adjust individual employee pay including:
- Adjustments as needed to move employees to the minimum of the new pay ranges;
- 5% general adjustment for employees not in probationary or first public safety step status;
- 5% merit pool for all employees not in probationary or public safety step status to be allocated by department head based on performance evaluations; and
- Tenure adjustments for a limited number of employees to place them at a targeted point within the pay range based on years of service in current assigned position.
Recommended reclassification of positions are as follows:
- Librarian Technician III (formerly Group D-GE) is proposed to be reclassified as Library Community Engagement Technician (Group E-GE) and Library Marketing Coordinator (Group E-GE)
- Media Specialist (formerly Group D-GE) is proposed to be reclassified as Group E-GE
- Planner I (formerly Group F-GE) is proposed to be reclassified as Group G-GE
- Planner II (formerly Group G-GE) is proposed to be reclassified as Group H-GE
- Building Plans Examiner (formerly Group G-GE) is proposed to be reclassified to Group H-GE
- City Planner (formerly Group H-GE) is proposed to be reclassified as Group I-GE
- Senior City Planner (formerly Group I-GE) is proposed to Group J-GE
- Planning and Codes Director (formerly Group K-GE) is proposed to be reclassified to Group L-GE
- City Recorder (formerly Group G-GE) is proposed to be reclassified as Group H-GE
- Accountant (formerly Group H-GE) is proposed to be reclassified to Group G-GE. This is the only position reclassified to a lower grade based on job responsibilities compared to those in similar positions in the study.
- Human Resources Director (formerly Group L-GE) is proposed to be reclassified to Group M-GE
- Technology Director (formerly Group L-GE) is proposed to be reclassified to Group M-GE
- Finance Director (formerly Group M-GE) is proposed to be reclassified to Group N-GE
- Assistant City Manager and City Attorney (formerly Group N-GE) are proposed to be reclassified to Group O-GE
- Police Officer I (formerly Group B-PS) and Police Officer II (formerly Group C-PS) are proposed to be combined and reclassified as Police Officer to Group C-PS
- Police Officer Recruit (formerly Group A-PS) is proposed to be reclassified to Group B-PS
- Assistant Police Chief and Deputy Fire Chief (formerly Group G-PS) is proposed to be reclassified to Group H-PS
- Police Chief and Fire Chief (formerly Group H-PS) is proposed to be reclassified to Group I-PS
- Utility Inspector I (formerly Group D-SC) is proposed to be reclassified to Group E-SC
- Utility Inspector II (formerly Group F-SC) is proposed to be reclassified to Group F-SC
- Chief Utility Inspector (formerly Group G-SC) is proposed to be reclassified to Group H-SC
Three position titles are new to the schedule for FY 2024. These include a Senior Accountant and Fire Apparatus Maintenance Technician (Group H) and an Assistant Technology Director (Group L). All of these position titles appear in the General Employees pay plan with the Fire position being a proposed civilian position to replace an existing sworn position following an upcoming retirement later in calendar year 2023. The Maintenance Worker, Senior Maintenance Worker, and Water Services Senior Maintenance Worker position titles were renamed to Maintenance Technician, Senior Maintenance Technician and Water Services Senior Maintenance Technician. All three of the positions appear in the Service Center pay plan and are not proposed to be reclassified. |