Churchill County adopts Baker Tilly compensation study after hours of edits and debate

The Churchill County Board of Commissioners adopted a countywide compensation study and implementation plan following a presentation from Baker Tilly and extended discussion about targeted grade adjustments and recruitment impacts.

Baker Tilly consultant Jada Kent told the board the firm surveyed 92 positions and found most county pay ranges lagging market: minimums about 6.9% below market, midpoints about 9.7% below and maximums about 11.6% below. Kent said the study proposes a simplified pay-grade structure with consistent step differentials and three implementation options for placing employees on the new table. "We surveyed 92 positions; 86 had sufficient data," Kent said, adding the study pairs internal job-evaluation scores with external market pay to arrive at recommended grades and steps.

County staff and commissioners pressed for targeted edits. Commissioner Blakey proposed promoting a cohort of Grade 7 office and technical positions to Grade 8 to improve recruitability and suggested bumping several attorney grades to bolster legal hiring. Comptroller Sherry (addressing the board) warned the board that some comptroller-office positions would drop under the study and asked for additional review. "If you look at the market that was provided by Baker Tilly, we are below market," she said, urging a closer look at the comptroller's staffing and grade compression.

Public comment included a strong critique from resident John Morton, who told the board the study risked ignoring human factors. "This report is completely soulless," Morton said, urging the county to consider how the first-year hiring rates affect retention and morale.

After clarifying edits on specific positions — including recordation, assessor deed/title review and selected office specialist roles — Commissioner Blakey moved to adopt the Baker Tilly study with the revisions discussed on the record; Commissioner Hyde seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote. County staff will finalize job descriptions, assign employees to grades, and implement the plan for the first pay period in July 2026, with the board requesting an informational item at a future meeting showing the dollar impacts and the finalized position list.

Why it matters: the study resets pay ranges and steps for county employees and will affect recruitment, retention and ongoing payroll costs. The board acknowledged the long-term cost implications and directed staff to bring forward implementation details and a precise fiscal impact analysis.

The board's next step is finalizing job descriptions and publishing the full position-to-grade assignments before the implementation date.