[Archived] In regards to General Schedule Employee Compensation, what would a 1% salary increase cost (with and without ACPS included)?

Listed below are responses to questions from Mayor Silberberg regarding General Schedule Employee Compensation.

QUESTION: 
What would a 1% salary increase cost (with and without ACPS included)?

ANSWER: 
It would cost the City approximately $1.5 million to fund a 1% salary increase for General Schedule employees, including the additional benefit costs resulting from the salary increase. It would cost the City approximately an additional $1.9 million to fund a 1% salary increase for Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Operating Fund employees, including resulting benefit increase costs, for a total of $3.46 million.

QUESTION:
What is the Market Rate Adjustment (MRA) history over the last 15 years?

ANSWER (excluding targeted pay adjustments for market reasons):

• FY 2001 – 2.5%

• FY 2002 – 3.0%

• FY 2003 – 2.5%

• FY 2004 – 2.0%

• FY 2005 – 2.0%

• FY 2006 – 2.0%

• FY 2007 – 3.0%

• FY 2008 – 0%

• FY 2009 – 0%

• FY 2010 – 0%

• FY 2011 – 0%

• FY 2012 – 0%

• FY 2013 – 0%

• FY 2014 – 0%

• FY 2015 – 0%

• FY 2016 – 0%
  

QUESTION:
What are our NoVa comparators (and Loudoun) doing for MRA’s in FY 2017?

ANSWER:

• Arlington County – No MRA, but one step of 1.75% added to the end of their pay scale.

• Fairfax County – 1.33%

• Prince William County – No MRA

• Loudoun County – No MRA

OUESTION: 
Explain the step system and percentage increases.

ANSWER:
Each eligible employee (those who have not reached the top of the pay range) who performs satisfactorily in their position receives a step increase in pay on the anniversary of their hire. Pay can increase from step-to-step by a percentage of 2.3%, 3.5% or 5.0%. Below are the percentages by step and pay scale (executive and physician are not included as they have pay bands rather than steps): 

All Pay Scales with the Exception of Sworn Fire,  

• Steps 0 through 2 increase by 5.0%

• Steps 3 through 7 increase by 3.5%

• Steps 7 through 16 increase by 2.3%
  

Sworn Fire Pay Scale

• Steps 0 through 4 increase by 5.0%

• Steps 5 through 9 increase by 3.5%

• Steps 10 through end of pay scale increase by 2.3%
  

QUESTION:
Explain how comparator measures are done and show GS employee results.

ANSWER:
Benchmark studies are conducted to determine the competitive posture of an organization. In order to conduct a benchmark study, we select benchmark classifications that meet the following criteria:

• Number of incumbents (the more incumbents, the larger the scope of the study)
• Scope of comparable jurisdictions
• Career laddered positions
• Key positions/functions of the organization
• Frequently questioned job classes

Benchmark standards require a sample size of 30%-50%.

In the fall of 2015, Classification & Compensation created a benchmark survey and distributed the survey to our five comparator jurisdictions. The information contained in the survey included a list of classifications and descriptions for each classification. Our comparators were asked to provide matches, including salary ranges and average salaries for all classifications where a match could be found. In all, a total of 30% of the City of Alexandria’s classifications were matched during this benchmark study. The results are below. The City’s pay philosophy states that pay is to be competitive at a minimum with the average pay of the market, which the Compensation profession defines as plus or minus 5% of the market average.