By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Employees of the city of Hays will see a pay increase next year, and each following year.

The new pay plan and job classification schedule will be presented to Hays city commissioners during their Sept. 6 work session.

The project has been in development since mid-2017 by a pay plan committee comprised of 15 city employee volunteers.

The committee evaluated different types of pay plans, ranked benefits by importance, and reviewed an in-house pay and benefit survey completed by Erin Giebler, Director of Human Resources.

The city has not provided consistent or predictable pay increases, according to Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood.

“In the past, during the budget season we’d kind of see what the dollars and cents looked like and it was very inconsistent,” Wood said. “Sometimes they would get a raise and it would be small; sometimes it would be larger.

“The pay plan and job classification system that we plan to put into place will be a step plan which will provide two percent steps on an annual basis for all employees.

“This will be more consistent and something employees can plan on. They’ll know if they do their job and what they’re supposed to do that they’ll see that increase and won’t have to wait until the budget season every year to see what it’s going to look like.”

The 2019 budget contains the proposed salary changes for the city’s 181 employees.