Pay Delivery
In general, the city uses the standard pay delivery system outlined below; however, for 2012 the City implemented the following.
- Employees Covered by the Band System: Full-time employees with acceptable performance received a one-time performance payment in the amount of $575 on March 30, 2012. Employees hired between April and December of 2011 received a pro-rated performance payment.
- Fire and Police Employees Covered by a Step Rate Plan: Full-time employees with acceptable performance will receive a one-time performance payment in the amount of $575 on their anniversary date.
- Part-Time A, B & C, Temporary and Contract Employees: Employees who work in a year-round position and whose performance is acceptable received a one-time performance payment The amount of the performance payment was calculated using the number of hours worked in 2011 / 2080 x $575.
Ongoing pay adjustments
Most employees achieving a satisfactory (or better) performance rating are eligible for ongoing pay adjustments, consisting of a market adjustment and/or performance increase (except public safety personnel in step plans).
The market adjustment is based on your salary and its relationship to the market target rate of pay for your job. This type of increase is to accelerate movement up to the market target rate of pay for your job to assure you are being paid a competitive rate of pay. Although the percentages are reviewed annually, the table illustrates how this pay component works:
Market Adjustment
| Relation to Market Target | Percentage Increase |
| 100% or above |
0% |
| 90-99% |
0% up to 1% |
| 80-89% |
2% |
| Less than 80% |
Greater of percent required to bring up to 80%, or 3% |
*Performance must be satisfactory to be eligible for a market adjustment.
Example: Employee A has a current monthly salary of $2,800 with a market target rate of $3,285. The employee's "relation to market target" is 85.2 percent, calculated by dividing the current salary by the market target rate ($2,800/$3,285). Since this employee's rate of pay is 80 to 89 percent of the market rate, he or she is eligible to receive a market adjustment increase of 2 percent. For example, a 2 percent increase would provide a $56 per month increase. This increase is in addition to any performance increase adjustment.
Performance increase
The city's pay-for-performance philosophy is designed to award performance increases based on a three-rating system:
| Rating | Description |
| Exceptional Performer |
Consistently performs beyond expectations and has demonstrated outstanding skill, knowledge and initiative in the job. This rating recognizes truly outstanding contributions to the organization, within the scope of the position. Accomplishments have made a significant impact on the mission of the department and consistently exceed those of other employees in the same job family or work group |
| Performs Well |
Consistently performs the duties of the position; meets and occasionally exceeds all expected criteria for quality, quantity, and timeliness of work. Consistently meets goals and objectives. |
| Improvement Required |
Performance marginally meets requirements of the position and periodically falls below them |
Working under these guidelines, an employee's performance will be evaluated against the organization's values as well as job-related factors. An employee will receive an overall rating in both areas and a combined score of those evaluations will determine a percentage of performance increase. Although the percentages are reviewed annually, the Performance Increase Matrix illustrates how this pay component works:
Performance Increase Matrix
| | Job Related Factors |
| | Improvement Required | Performs Well | Exceptional Performer |
| Exceptional Performer |
0-2% |
4.25-4.75% |
5.25-5.75% |
Performs
Well |
0% |
3.25-3.75% |
4.25-4.75% |
| Improvement Required |
0% |
0% |
0-2% |
*Our compensation system makes the assumption that most employees are "performing well."
Example: If an employee receives a rating of "Performs Well" for organizational values and a "Performs Well" for job related factors, then the employee is eligible for a 3.25 percent to 3.75 percent performance increase.
Lump sum increase
An employee's salary cannot exceed the market target by more than 20 percent. If an employee's salary reaches this level of pay, no further increase can be made to the base salary.
An employee whose current salary is close to, or at 20 percent above their market target rate, is eligible to receive a one-time, lump-sum payment, which is not added to the base salary in that year, or a combination of performance increase and lump sum award.
To be eligible for this lump-sum payment, an employee must:
- Be close to, or at 20 percent above their market target rate, and
- Receive a performance rating of either "Performs Well" or "Exceptional Performer," and
- Be approved for the one-time, lump-sum payment by their department director.