County presentation shows pay near market overall but below MSA comparators; unions push for bigger increases

Renne Public Law Group presented the results of a comprehensive compensation benchmarking study to the Board on March 10, finding that across 96 benchmark classifications Mendocino County’s total compensation is about 5.5% below the survey’s full-market average but roughly at market when compared only with similarly non-metropolitan jurisdictions.

Luke Jensen of Renne summarized the methodology and emphasized that shared labor‑market definitions matter: counties that are part of metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) generally have higher median compensation and higher regional price parity indexes, which skews full‑market comparisons. "On average, the county is about five and a half percent below the market average," Jensen said, and he advised the board that positioning in the market is ultimately a policy decision for elected officials.

SEIU Local 1021’s Patrick Hickey told the board that the report "presents a very rosy picture" that does not match staff experience and urged the county to prioritize living wages and adjust compensation to keep pace with inflation. An Assessor’s Office staffer said the study's comparator set omitted places where county employees actually go for jobs (for example, Sonoma), which matters for recruitment and retention.

Renne’s analysis also noted that when the comparator set is limited to counties not part of MSAs (Ukiah, Lake, Nevada, Humboldt), Mendocino pays roughly 7% above that subgroup’s average; excluding high-cost comparators such as Napa, Sonoma and Santa Rosa moves Mendocino closer to market parity. The presentation included regional price parity (RPP) and American Community Survey data to show differences in population, income, home values and rents across comparators.

Board members said they found the study useful background for policy decisions and recommended follow-ups: clarify the comparator set, update any inflator/COLA assumptions, and consider the implications of recent and upcoming MOU actions in neighboring jurisdictions. The board voted to accept the presentation.

Next steps: staff and labor will continue bargaining and analysis; the board asked Renne and county staff to provide follow-up clarifications on comparator choice and the influence of recent negotiated COLAs in neighboring jurisdictions.