MCBOCC presents salary survey adjustments for county employees

The Marion County Board of County Commissioners, from left to right: Michelle Stone, Craig Curry, Carl Zalak III, Jeff Gold and Kathy Bryant. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]

The Marion County Board of County Commissioners (MCBOCC) presented a series of salary survey adjustments during its regular meeting on July 6.

The adjustments included salaries corrected after the county conducted a Classification and Compensation Study Workshop on April 29. Nearly all of the changes were to correct either current or proposed pay grades.

Previously, the MCBOCC had voted unanimously to approve a series of pay grade changes, job title changes and salary adjustments for its county employees on May 3.

In 2021, according to county documents, the county contracted with Evergreen Solutions, LLC, to conduct a study—the purpose of which was to analyze the county’s classification and compensation system and make recommendations to improve its competitive position in the labor market.

The study involved analyzing the internal and external equity of the county’s compensation system and making recommendations in response to those findings.

A workshop was held on April 29. Evergreen consultants and county senior staff presented the findings of the study and made recommendations to the board.

Recommendations included new pay grades, job title changes and salary adjustments to current employees based on methodology using range penetration capped at the midpoint with lower end adjustments as well as adjusting for the minimum wage requirements.

The recommended changes would have a loaded cost of $5.9 million across all funds and a loaded cost of $3.11 million to the General Fund, according to county documents. Since its approval, the salary adjustments to the county’s systems will be made effective on or before July 31, 2022. County employees have already seen the adjustments in their paychecks since the agenda item was approved two months ago.

Evergreen will continue to work on a salary study for the rank-and-file unit of Marion County Fire Rescue, according to county officials, and those results will be presented to the board at a later date.

According to Stacie Causey, senior public relations specialist for Marion County, on May 11, the county currently has more than 50 positions in need of filling. Of those more than 50 positions, Causey identified 10 “hard-to-fill” positions that the county is currently struggling to find employees:

• Animal center veterinarian (Animal Services)
• Utilities field technicians
• Utilities lift station technicians
• Inspector plans examiners (Building Safety)
• Paramedics
• Librarians
• Maintenance technician operators, Rainbow Lakes Estates
• Litter crew leader
• Purchasing inventory assistant (Fleet Management)
• Recreation leader, seasonal (Parks and Recreation)

For more specific information on the pay grade changes, job title changes and salary survey adjustments, visit www.Marionfl.org.