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At the most recent Hays County Commissioners Court meeting last week, commissioners made further adjustments to the salary plan recommended by Management Advisory Group, Inc.
Some of these changes were prompted by 75 requests for individual position modifications made by department heads and officials from over 20 different departments to the Human Resources Director Shari Miller. Miller and Hays County Budget Officer Vickie Dorsett used the MAG market survey summary data as well as additional clarifying data collected by Miller to inform the court as to why these requests were made. The secondary validating data was used due to no response from MAG after county officials requested on two occasions that they be provided with additional detailed data from the survey.
As a result of these requests, 21 positions remained in the same grade, while a handful were reduced and 43 other requests were moved to a higher grade.
“I think we have focused pretty intently on what we have identified as hard to fill positions [such as] construction workers in the road departments, kitchen assistants in the jails ... [and] juvenile supervision officers,” Miller said.
Hays County Precinct 4 Commissioner Walt Smith said he had concerns about whether or not a cap was considered for some positions taking into account major salary increases, some up to 40%, as a result of the grade changes.
Miller assured the court that, while she did not consider pay caps for the positions, these changes were based on accurate market data and “if there is [a] large increase, it is probably [because] that job has been graded too low for a long time.”
Commissioners unanimously approved the movement of 16 justice clerks positions to the 114 grade and five justice administrators to the 115 grade. This adjustment makes the starting salary for justice clerks $40,063 and is expected to have a minimal impact on the budget, according to the county.
The final motion the commissioners passed was to adopt the new minimum salaries and salary grades proposed by MAG, as well as up to 10 percent raises for the 114 grade and above going into effect on April 1.
The up to 10 percent raises for the 114 grade and above are for those who would not have met the minimum salary range for their new grade.
This motion will cost the county $1,629,220 to implement and benefit a total of 746 positions, including vacancies, according to Dorsett. The commissioners clarified that they would wait until July 1 to consider adjustments for vacant positions.
While the salary plan still has a way to go before it is completed, Miller requested that the commissioners provide guidance as to how to adjust progression plans for the new salary plan as it moves forward. MAG provided recommendations only for how the county was to hire, reclass and promote employees and nothing for demotion.
The policy in place recommends that if an employee is voluntarily demoted, they would get a three to six percent decrease in salary. Alternatively, if they are demoted due to disciplinary or performance issues, they would receive at least a six percent decrease. Under the new salary plan in its present configuration, this policy would require modification, so employees receive fair wage decreases comparative to potential promotion rates.
To date, the county has planned to spend $3,111,390 from the 2023 fiscal year budget for salary implementation with regards to the series of MAG-connected adjustments made over the past several months.
Moving forward, the commissioners said they are aware that future updates regarding the MAG plan may be delayed until the 2024 fiscal year due to lack of funding.
“We are scraping, you know, everything we have to make this work,” Hays County Precinct 3 Commissioner Lon Shell said. “There are limitations to implementing this, and we still have to address actual placement and implementation of a plan which will cost additional funds.”
The contract with MAG is still ongoing, so there is time for these funds to be procured and budgeted.
For further information regarding the MAG salary plan, visit the Hays County Commissioners Court website at hayscountytx.com/ commissioners-court.
