In order to get into a more competitive salary position, increase job retention and help to attract new hires, Lac La Biche County staffing positions will be getting a boost on the pay grid over the next two years.
Almost one million dollars more in salary and cost of living increases are expected to be dished out by the 2023 fiscal year, thanks to a decision by Lac La Biche County councillors.
Following a recently-completed compensation and benefits review of staff and council by a consulting firm hired by the municipality, it was determined that the municipality should be offering higher wage incentives to make positions more competitive in the municipal hiring market.
The report, issued by HR Outlook, found that while the current wage and benefit levels were equal to or better than comparison communities like the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Strathcona County, Sturgeon County, Athabasca and St. Paul, they could be increased to be closer to a more competitive range.
Surveying 59 positions within several workplace department of the municipality, the consultants based their findings on three levels of compensation — Basic, Comparable and Competitive. The Basic level puts an employer up to the lower 20th percentile within the market. The Comparable level is at the 50th percentile, and the competitive level includes market places above the 75th percentile. While the report's summary indicates "blended market results" within the mid-to-high Comparable range, and some already in the Competitive level, council has opted to raise the benchmark across the board for all positions.
At their December 14 council meeting, councillors agreed that in 2022, the salary range target will be the 65th percentile. In 2023 the goal will be to have salaries in the 70th percentile.
Wages up $975,000 by 2023
A breakdown of additional funding needed to reach the targets will see $435,000 added to the salary expenditure budget in 2022 and $264,000 more added to the salary line in the 2023 budget. The new salary ranges will also see Cost of Living Allowances increased over the same period, adding an additional $140,000 to salary expenses in each of the two years.
The municipality currently has a staffing roster filling 200 full time equivalent positions. Deliberations on the 2022 municipal budget are expected to wrap up at a special council meeting early next week. In the 2021 municipal budget, $25 million of the municipality's $55.5 million total operating budget was spent on salaries, wages and benefits.
Recommended by the municipality's HR department, the salary increases will "position the County to be an employer of choice in the region and will help the County in attracting and retaining top talent."
Mayor gets standard salary
In addition to the staffing salary changes, the HR Outlook report also highlighted the pay scales of elected officials around the Lac La Biche County Council table. That report, say municipal officials, showed the Lac La Biche County mayor's salary — a combination of base pay and event compensation — was less than other municipalities with a full-time mayor's position.
To bring the mayor's pay to a more comparable rate, councillors have determined it will now be full-salaried position. Paul Reutov's salary starting in 2022 will be set at $110,143. The figure is based on the past three years of salary expenditure for the position.
The pay formula for the eight municipal councillors was not adjusted, remaining with base pay plus additional honorarium for meeting and event attendance.
The policy will come into effect on January 1, and will be reviewed at least every three years. Prior to this year's compensation and salary review, the last municipally-contracted review was in 2016
