Cumberland Begins Pay Study Process

Cumberland County will undertake a pay study to ensure all of its employees are being compensated fairly.

County Mayor Allen Foster said the study will compare their pay scale to those in neighboring counties and similar-sized counties across the state. Foster said they expect the results in December and may consider an adjustment to employee pay rates in January, if necessary.

“We’ll just have to see what it would cost to fund it,” Foster said. “You know, at that point it may not be a lot, it may be a lot, so it would just depend on what we’re able to afford and, you know, if you put something in mid-year it’s half the cost so we’ll just have to look and see what the results are and go from there.”

Foster said they normally assess their pay scale every four to five years and it had been longer than usual since their last study. He said they have made a diligent effort to improve their offerings for employees over the past several years so it is difficult to predict what the results will be.

“I think we should fairly compensate our employees for that work they’re doing, so I’m hoping that we can get a clear picture of where we are and where we need to be,” Foster said.

Foster said they also update the scale on their own over time, but the study is an important way to make sure they are staying competitive for the region. Foster said they have room in the latest county budget for the potential pay raise as long as it is not too large.

Step one, Foster said, seeing where the county stands.

“The update is around $15,000,” Foster said. “It’s worth every penny for the data that you get, you know, to be able to compare yourself with others.”