Dallas County supervisors discuss switching pay-plan benchmark, manager spread and merit timing

Dallas County supervisors spent significant time June 2 discussing proposed changes to the county pay plan, focusing on three issues: which index to use as the benchmark (market-oriented Employment Cost Index versus inflation-focused Consumer Price Index), preserving a 10% pay spread between managers and their staff, and when newly hired employees become eligible for merit increases.

Staff framed the choice as market versus cost-of-living: the ECI was described as a steadier market indicator useful for keeping salary ranges competitive with other governments; the CPI was characterized as a measure of consumer inflation. Staff advised transparent documentation in the pay plan about which index will guide adjustments and noted the existing pay-plan language caps increases at 6%.

On merit timing, HR staff proposed moving the ineligibility cutoff from 90 days to 120 days but offered a compromise: employees hired between January and March could become eligible for a merit award on their six-month anniversary, subject to a supervisory review verifying satisfactory performance. Supervisors and department heads discussed logistical capacity to perform six-month reviews; HR said the incoming HR coordinator will help implement any change.

Board members asked staff to clarify the geographic scope of any market comparisons (state, Midwest or national ECI data), the cap mechanics, and the administrative steps needed to require a six-month review. No final vote was taken; staff will revise the pay-plan language to reflect the board’s direction and return the updated document for final action.

Direct quotes from the meeting reflect the exchange and intent to be explicit in plan wording: "Whatever we're doing, let's be clear, whether it's market or pricing," a supervisor said; HR staff said, "I'll update that as well" regarding new eligibility language.

What’s next: staff will draft revised pay-plan language incorporating the chosen index, a clear definition of geographic scope for ECI comparisons, the 10% managerial spread language, and the compromise on merit timing; the draft will be returned to the board for review and possible approval.