Germantown board adopts 2026 pay-rate chart to address staffing shortages

The Germantown Village Board on a voice and roll-call vote adopted a new 2026 pay-rate chart designed to bring many municipal job classifications closer to market after several recent departures and repeated recruitment failures.

Support services manager Gosh presented a market comparison and said the village is on average about 14% below comparable municipalities for many positions and identified 14 roles that fall below new minimums. "We have experienced recruitment and retention struggles over the last year," Gosh said, noting vacancies in the village administrator, finance director, village engineer and senior center coordinator positions.

Interim Administrator Reynolds told trustees the proposal is a phased implementation and not an automatic across-the-board increase. Under the staff plan, departments would first try to identify funding within their 2026 budgets for limited equity adjustments; positions requiring larger increases would be considered during the 2027 budget process and via a more comprehensive compensation and classification study the board could fund next year.

Trustees questioned the timeline and funding. Trustee Warren asked whether the changes would help immediate vacancies; staff pointed to two roles (engineering technician and the senior center coordinator) as positions that would benefit quickly from reclassification and updated pay ranges. Trustee Jan Miller raised concerns about budget timing and voted against the motion.

The motion to adopt the 2026 pay-rate chart carried on roll call (7 yes, 1 no); trustees who voted yes cited urgent recruitment needs and the desire to maintain continuity of operations.

The board directed staff to pursue further analysis, to require departments to identify offsetting budget savings before any equity adjustments are implemented, and to return with a plan for a comprehensive study to be considered in the 2027 budget cycle.