Agenda - 02-24-2003-ws2 - Laserfiche WebLink

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• Implementation of a 401(k) plan contribution for each permanent employee except those who already receive the five percent of salary contribution for law enforcement officers. • Initiation in 2001-02 of a comprehensive position classification and pay study of all County positions to assure a competitive, equitable pay plan with study implementation to be considered as part of the budget process for 2002-03. 2002-03 Pay Plan Fiscal circumstances that the County faced last spring necessitated that the Board postpone funding decisions related to the pay plan for the current fiscal year. While the Board approved funding to address health insurance increases and to mitigate the impact on employees of the dependent health insurance cost increase, the Board decided to revisit other elements of the pay plan such as implementation of the Classification and Pay Study as the year progressed and impacts of the State's budgetary actions became more clear. As a result, the approved budget for 2002-03 did not include funding for a Cost of Living Increase, In-Range Salary Increases, Meritorious Service Awards or implementation of the Classification and Pay Study. Since the adoption of the current year's original budget last June, a number of things have transpired that impact the County's fiscal status. The State's budget was adopted in late September 2002 and staff believes that the Social Safety Net Reserve Fund the Board established in the approved budget is sufficient to cover State budgetary cuts passed on to our human service departments. In addition the State authorized counties to implement a new one- half cent sales tax to offset losses of State reimbursements. The Board implemented that tax effective December 1, 2002. According to information the Board received at its January retreat, it appears that the County's revenue and expenditures are on target with the current year budget. Given the information outlined above, staff recommends the Board reconstitute its approach of considering employee pay and benefits on a two year planning cycle with the current year (2002-03) being Year 1 and 2003-04 being Year 2. Classification and Pay Study The Manager and staff recommend completion and implementation of the Classification and Pay Study as the top priority for the two-year period with implementation to begin in 2002-03 and be completed in 2003-04. In June 2001, the Board initiated a comprehensive Countywide Classification and Pay Study of all permanent County positions (now numbering 756). Given the 12 years since the last Classification and Pay Study and the County's need to maintain a competitive, equitable pay plan, the County planned this study as a priority for 2001-02 with the target to implement the results in 2002-03. Because of the fiscal situation at the beginning of this year, the study was put on hold in March 2002. For the Board's information as it considers study implementation, the following information is provided. • Attachment 1 outlines the reasons the Board undertook the Classification and Pay Study and what the study accomplishes. In summary, the study represents a capital investment in