Snellville staff recommends updated salary study to benchmark pay; city aims eventually for $20 minimum

City staff briefed the mayor and council on May 27 that the city intends to commission an updated classification and compensation study to measure whether current pay ranges remain competitive.

The presentation said the last full study, completed in 2022, led the city to set a $15-per-hour minimum for entry-level positions and to adopt a classification chart that assigns pay ranges to each position. The consultant named during the meeting was the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, described by staff as a public-sector consulting arm associated with the University of Georgia. Staff told the council the institute is well respected and the quoted cost for the update is about $15,000.

City staff emphasized why an update is needed: "$15 an hour is just not a wage really here nowadays," a staff presenter said, noting the city risks falling behind regional market rates. Officials said the updated study would collect market data, show where the city sits relative to comparable employers, and model the dollar amounts needed to reach various minimum targets. Staff described an aspirational $20-per-hour minimum and suggested an interim goal of $17 as a more achievable near-term step.

Council members asked about timing and how the results would be integrated into the next budget cycle. Staff replied the study results will be shared with the council in the upcoming budget process so members can decide whether and how to fund any recommended adjustments.

The presentation did not include a formal vote at the session; staff asked councilors to review the forthcoming report and to raise questions before the council's June meeting.