Commission hears staff recommendation for compensation study and discusses pay equity, interim pay
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Summary
Commissioners and staff discussed conducting a compensation study to assess pay equity across positions after concerns about gender and race pay disparities; staff noted the city uses a compensation scale and suggested work to compare positions, with a prior interim pay precedent of 15%.
Commissioners discussed running a compensation study and reviewing pay equity after a commissioner raised concerns that female and minority employees may be paid less than comparable male or white employees. One commissioner recommended bringing in a consultant used by nearby Panama City Beach to evaluate every job classification and produce a full report. Staff said the city uses a compensation scale with position‑based pay and that benefits and pension vesting levels are negotiated as part of individual contracts; staff also said they can provide current pay data and historical comparisons to commissioners on request. The HR presenter recommended commissioners supply parameters for how far back to review pay records and noted some contractual negotiation items (for example, pension vesting) are resolved in hiring or contract stages. Separately, staff said interim compensation for the current interim city manager is a commission action; staff cited a 2019 example when an interim was given a 15% bump for additional duties and suggested the commission consider a look‑back to compensate additional duties if the interim remains in the role for an extended period. No formal study contract or interim pay decision was recorded in the transcript excerpt.