(a) Positions shall be assigned to ranges in accordance with this section. New appointments to management and exempt positions will be at the minimum salary established for each range unless appointment at another step up to the midpoint salary for each range has been requested of and approved by the personnel director. Appointments above the midpoint salary of the range may only be approved by the executive. Positions may not be paid less than the minimum or more than the maximum of the range unless approved by the council. This chapter shall not be deemed to establish vested rights in any salary or in areas of salary. Actual salaries shall be determined by annual legislative appropriation.

(b) When a new position is proposed the personnel director shall recommend assignment of the position to a salary range based upon an internal comparison of other positions with similar responsibilities. Budgetary placement of the position is normally at the midpoint of the range unless another rate is recommended and approved by the council. When with council direction a position is placed between steps or below the minimum of the pay range established for that range, corrective action to place the position on step within the range shall be taken the following year, subject to the availability of funds, as a result of the next budget process. A position which is paid above the maximum of the pay range established for each range shall continue to receive the same rate of pay until the maximum is adjusted and becomes greater than the incumbent’s salary.

(a) Salary range adjustments may be proposed to the county council annually by the personnel director based on consideration of the results of salary surveys of comparable positions in the labor market, the results of union negotiations, changes in the cost of living, the county’s ability to pay and other applicable factors. The salaries of individual management and exempt employees may be adjusted by an amount equivalent to any approved range adjustment so that the employee maintains the same position in the range as before the range adjustment. Adjustment of an individual position to another range because of increased or decreased responsibility may be proposed when warranted but shall not be effective until sufficient funds are available.

(b) Salary ranges shall also be revised to reflect any general cost of living adjustments granted to other employees who are not members of collective bargaining units.

(a) Except as otherwise provided by ordinance, each management and exempt employee that has been in the position for at least six months is eligible to be considered for advancement to the next step in the pay range in April of each year based on the criteria stated in subsection (5) of this section. If sufficient funds have been allocated by the council during the budget process for that purpose, an appointing official may propose to the executive such advancement by documenting in writing that the official has evaluated and judged the employee to have achieved acceptable performance based on criteria established under subsection (5) of this section. The executive shall approve or deny the proposed increase and/or delay the effective date of an advancement within pay ranges or take other appropriate action based on available funds to carry out the intent of this section. Advancement under this provision is limited to one step in pay range per year. The personnel director is responsible for recommending to the council each year the appropriate funding level for administration of the advancement program. The county council may appropriate funds for this purpose to a contingency fund and transfer to the proper departmental accounts amounts necessary to implement any recommended increases.

(a) Advancement to the next step of the pay range for management and exempt employees governed by this provision is based on the employee accomplishing objectives or achieving acceptable performance levels in important job requirements and is subject to the availability of budgeted funds. The executive will evaluate department heads and other exempt and management employees who are non-elective or are not subordinate to elected officials and who report directly to the executive based on how well they have accomplished objectives which were established for them in the prior year. The hiring official will establish a plan of objectives for the next 12 months which will serve as the basis for the following year’s evaluation. A performance plan and report form as developed and supplied by the personnel director will be completed for each of the above employees and a determination will be made as to whether the employee fails to meet, meets, or exceeds the executive’s performance expectations.

(b) The hiring official will evaluate other management and exempt employees governed by this provision using the above report or the job requirement summary form as developed and supplied by the personnel director as selected by the department head or elected official. When using the job requirement summary, at least six criteria will be selected and evaluated for each employee.

(c) The personnel director will be responsible for providing evaluation forms and standards which apply to the above criteria. The department head or elected official may modify the standards supplied by the personnel director to fit individual circumstance.

(d) Employees who fail to meet expectations of the department head or elected official may be denied step advancement and may not be reconsidered until another evaluation is given the following year. Management and exempt employees who exceed expectations may be considered for additional step(s) in September of each year under the special award section of these rules, subsection (6) of this section.

(a) Depending upon the availability of funds, employees who have exceeded expectations may be considered for a special merit award of additional step(s) advancement in September of each year. Remaining funds, if any, upon completion of the process in subsection (5) of this section shall be allocated to the executive, legislative and judicial branches in the same proportion as the annual management and exempt salaries of each branch as they relate to the total annual salaries covered by this plan. Each branch shall determine which employees are deserving of a special award and may award increases of one or more steps based upon the employee’s achievements as determined by performance evaluation and the availability of funds. Special awards will be granted in the month designated by the executive.

(b) Results of the special award process shall be documented by each branch and shall be reported to the county executive and council prior to the completion of the month in which the award will be effective. Supporting documentation shall include the performance evaluation and a statement of the reasons why the employee was deserving of the award. Special awards will not be treated as a bonus and will be added to the employee’s monthly salary. (Added by Ord. 85-114, Nov. 20, 1985; Amended by Ord. 90-013 § 4, Mar. 14, 1990; Amended by Amended Ord. 17-111, May 2, 2018, Eff date Nov. 1, 2018; Amended by Ord. 21-092, Nov. 9, 2021, Eff date Jan. 1, 2022).