If Washington’s City Council adopts the fourth proposal concerning compensation for city employees, doing so would cost $460,700, according to a pay study commissioned by the city.

During its meeting Monday, the council was presented findings and recommendations included in that pay study performed by the Piedmont Triad Regional Council. PTRC’s David Hill, who prepared the study along with Bob Carter, explained the study process. “Pay classification is not a scientific process,” said Hill.

The council took no action regarding the study. It is expected to consider the study’s recommendations as it works on the 2017-2018 fiscal year budget.

Under the first proposal, the cost of the city implanting only the new pay plan is $62,600. The study recommends doing that.

The second proposal, which the study recommends implementing, calls for adopting a compensation component (which addresses salary compression). That proposal recognizes the employees’ time in their position classifications. Implementing that proposal would cost $172,200. The study recommended doing that.

The third proposal would add recognition of the employees’ time working for the city to the mix. Its cost would be $225,900.

The fourth proposal, which combines the other three recommendations, would cost the city $460,700.

Adopting the recommended pay plan would result in city employees’ pay being 3 percent higher than the average of employees working for local governments to which the city was compared to during the study, said Hill. That difference could change July 1 when the new budgets for the local governments take effect, Hill noted. The study compared Washington’s pay classifications and salaries to local governments such as Tarboro, Williamston, Clinton, Beaufort County, Martin County, New Bern, Greenville, the Greenville Utilities Commission and others in the region.

Councilman Doug Mercer said removing Greenville Utilities Commission from the comparison would put the salaries of Washington employees at 5 percent higher than the average of employees working for other local governments. He also said it’s up to the council to review the study, then determine what to do with its recommendations. Hill agreed, saying the study provides the council data to use in making an informed, educated decision concerning the study’s recommendations.

The recommended classification and pay study will empower the city in its efforts to recruit, retain and motivate a workforce with pay at fair, equitable and competitive rates while ensuring internal equity with other city positions, according to a memorandum Stacey Christini, the city’s human-resources director, sent to the mayor and council members.

As part of the study process, PTRC involved city employees by asking them to complete a 12-page job-analysis questionnaire. The responses were verified by department supervisors and/or department heads. PTRC also conducted seven days of interviews with city employees.