City conducts salary study

In February 2018, the city of Elyria undertook a new salary study alongside Arthur J. Gallagher Human Resources & Compensation Consulting to look at management level employees in city government. City Council will vote on the legislation Feb. 19. The study focused on 38 job titles and 53 city positions and how each post would fit in the market if the city eliminated longevity pay and replaced it with base pay, according to Elyria Safety Service Director Mary Siwierka. These positions include 165 employees, Siwierka said. If the city were to eliminate longevity pay, Elyria would roughly save $52,000 over the next five years, according to the study’s documentation. Elyria took on the study because, currently, the city has a pay structure that allows little movement through a range due to only a few steps or only “one step” in some cases, which does not allow the city to be competitive in the market when filling vacancies, the study said. “Our current structure is especially difficult regarding vacancies for our professional, executive and specialized positions within the city,” the study summary said. Longevity has been the Elyria’s backbone to compensation when providing pay increases to staff, which no longer is considered feasible in current-day pay structures. Gallagher Consulting recommended Elyria adopt a new classification structure that has several ranges, which include 13 steps within each range for employees to progress through based on their time in the position, Siwierka said. This recommendation creates a modern-day salary structure, that if reviewed annually, can keep the city within market standards for years to come, according to the study. By establishing the new structure, the city has the ability to be competitive when offering salaries for positions that have been difficult to fill in the past such as economic development director, engineers and chief building official. Additionally, the new compensation structure allows the city to consider knowledge, skills, abilities, education and experience when hiring and promoting individuals. Gallagher Consulting reached out to 22 communities and 13 responded with salary data. These communities that responded were of Alliance, Cuyahoga Falls, Lakewood, Mansfield, Parma, Strongsville, Norwalk, Marion, Mentor, as well as counties such as Lorain, Erie, Cuyahoga and Medina. All positions included in the salary study were placed in one of 23 pay grades, or Decision Band Method classifications, based on the position description questionnaire the employee completed that was reviewed by a supervisor. They then were compared to similar positions in the market, the study said. Step placements for 51 management level employees were determined by years of full time service or total pay, which would assign the employee to an appropriate step with a salary increase. Employee total pay consists of their current base pay plus current longevity percentage, the study said. Longevity percentage ranged from zero to 20 percent for current employees, depending on current full time years of service with the city. Employees above the assigned range maximum would receive a one percent increase based on current actual salary, which is base pay plus longevity. Study results revealed the surveyed organizations are comparable with Elyria for total population served and overall, Elyria is highly competitive with the market median’s actual salary rate. Siwierka said the city administration recommends adoption and implementation of the new classification to enable the city to be more competitive when filling vacancies with qualified candidates. The new structure also provides a future for current staff who do not have additional steps in the current pay structure, the study summary said.

In other news

Siwierka said City Council’s Community Development Committee previously voted to approve a Conditional Use Permit to AFS Cultivation LLC, which is planning bring Elyria’s second marijuana dispensary to 603 Cleveland St. She said the matter has to now be approved through Council, but once approved, the facility is targeted to open in May. The city’s other dispensary, The Clubhouse, located on Sugar Lane, is set to open in March.