The Johnson County West Courthouse Annex. Daily Journal file photo
Despite disagreements between county officials, a job classification and compensation study will be in the works starting this winter.
The Johnson County Board of Commissioners voted on Monday to allow the county council president, Pam Burton, to execute the salary study agreement with Waggoner Irwin Scheele & Associates, Inc. The study authorizes the firm to prepare a 2025 Job Classification and Compensation Analysis for the council. Last month, the commissioners put off the decision because of concerns over the need for the study.
For the salary study, consultants review existing pay schedules and gather relevant organizational information like pay policies and procedures. They use existing county job descriptions, as confirmed accurate by county officials, to review classification levels, internal job rankings and conduct external market pay survey comparisons, according to the agreement.
The process involves conducting in-person interviews or remote interviews with elected officials and department heads to get information on organizational structure and employee job responsibilities, the agreement shows. The agreement price is to not exceed $58,640 plus expense reimbursement. The study is expected to start in December and complete in six to eight months.
The study has been an ongoing discussion between county officials for the last several months, including at the first budget readings last week. The study was the council’s solution to help ensure county employees are paid fairly based on their job duties. The council has put off decisions on employee pay and reclassifying certain jobs until after the study was prepared.
The council approved the vendor for the study in February and approved the contract in August.
Commissioner Ron West originally opposed the study last month because he said there is information on employee compensation available through the Association of Indiana Counties. He also didn’t think the information would be used by the council. Although West still opposes the study, he said Monday the council president has the right to enter into the agreement.
“I’m still not in support of it, but I understand the council does have the right … to enter into this contract and I would support [Burton] being able to do that, given that she already has the authority to do it,” West said Monday. “But I just wanted it known publicly that I do oppose the spending of over $58,000 for a study that I just don’t deem worthy.”
Commissioner Brian Baird, the board chairman, let Walls’ motion to approve the study fail last month for lack of a second because he wanted more discussion. On Monday, Baird said he mostly agreed with West but the commissioners were ultimately just signaling it is OK for the council to execute the agreement using money from their own budget.
Commissioner Kevin Walls was in favor of the agreement and said last month that he sees the commissioners’ role as more “facilitating the opportunity for [the council] to research” employee compensation. He said the council and department heads had discussed the salary study for months with in-depth talks with the vendor.
Walls said Monday the commissioners could debate the issue “all day long” but he believes the council said they need the study and they should be the ones to make that decision.
Baird added that the council should be held accountable for whatever decision they make.
The commissioners voted to allow Burton to execute the agreement unanimously. Adam Gadberry, county attorney, said the agreement should be signed by Burton later this week.
