Hays Post
Aug 14, 2023

Ellis County Commission approves wage study in 2024 budget

Posted Aug 14, 2023 3:01 PM

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

For the first time in more than nine years, Ellis County will make sure employees’ compensation is in line with other government agencies.

Last week the Ellis County Commission approved a contract with The Arnold Group out of Wichita for $23,000 to review the county’s employee compensation, compare it to other government agencies and establish a new or updated pay plan.

County Human Resources Coordinator Jennifer Taylor said Tuesday, The Arnold Group is doing similar work for counties all across the state.

“They do provide review and recommendations for our pay grades and our pay scales to make sure we have all of our jobs classified in the correct pay grade and that our pay scale is kind of where it should be,” Taylor said.

The company will then also review the county’s current policies and provide recommendations, Taylor said.

“Then once they're done with that it, they will provide our HR department with a very solid foundation to build upon that way, in the future years, we can do that compensation and market review, analysis in-house,” Taylor said.

Commissioner Michael Berges said he believes the result of the study will show the county is lacking but his concern is the ability to fund the recommendations provided.

“I have a feeling when they come back, they're going say you should be paying more or giving better benefits,” Berges said.

County Administrator Darin Myers said in the budget proposal the county has set aside $600,000 for adjustments and he recommends through the budget discussion to set aside additional funding to help implement the findings of the study.

“As Commissioner Burgess alluded to, we did do a pay study back in 2014. It did take us until 2021 to get completed, and probably by the time it got completed, it was outdated already,” Myers said.

During the commission’s discussion on the budget later during the meeting, the commissioners elected to move forward with a final draft budget for 2024 of $31,365,940. The estimated mill levy would be 37.045, a decrease of .53 mills. That is subject to change when the final valuations are calculated later this year.

That includes $400,000 for the implementation of the wage study and a paid time off program with $250,000 for the study.

Myers said he thinks the results from the study will start coming in as of November or December. That is the same time that the county’s wage and benefits group would begin to make its recommendations for next year.

Also included in the 2024 budget are funding for Public Works to start an asphalt repair program, funding to increase bridge repairs, funding for the expansion of the Noxious Weed Department, funding to begin acquiring 911 dispatchers from the city, funding for the Rural Opportunity Zone Program and funding for scholarships in an effort to retain students in Ellis County.

The budget also includes a slight increase in funding for outside agencies.

The commission will consider the 2024 budget for a final review on Tuesday. Once it is approved, it will be published for the public’s consumption. The public hearing on the budget and the revenue-neutral rate hearing will be on Sept. 12.