Lancaster County adopts multi-year salary adjustments after outside study

Lancaster County commissioners voted Jan. 13 to adopt recommended multi-year salary adjustments after a presentation by Zelle’s business operations and payroll manager.

Chesney, who said she led the county’s special project work with HR, described the process: the team reviewed historical and market data and applied a compensation formula established in 2022. She told commissioners the study incorporated market data and made targeted increases to address wage compression for engineering staff. "We took the data into consideration with 2027," Chesney said, "and... did a salary study with current market data that influenced what the 2027 recommendation was." She added that an additional percentage increase was recommended for 2028 to remove wage compression.

Commissioners discussed the scale of changes: some positions would rise by about 10 percent, others 3–4 percent, and some positions would see no change. One commissioner summarized the multi-year structure as a second-year increase of approximately 3 percent tied to CPI indicators. After discussion, the board moved and approved the package by roll call.

The action implements across-the-board and targeted adjustments recommended by the external consultant; commissioners said the approach improves transparency and helps the county remain competitive in recruitment and retention. The motion passed unanimously.