Senior managers at city hall received the highest raises according to a salary survey conducted earlier this year.
According to figures obtained by the Gazette, 6.9 per cent raises were handed out to senior administrators, including general managers of corporate services, community services, planning and engineering, and business and strategic services. Overall the city’s non-union employees received an average 3.9 per cent pay hike.
That equals more than $10,000 for those administrators earning among the maximum salary range, putting the new maximum at $166,800. The salaries for the general managers were compared with earnings from similar positions in Edmonton, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, the province and four other municipalities.
According to the city’s salary administration policy, each of the 12 salary levels will see a raise based on the salary survey.
Dean Screpnek, the city’s chief financial officer and general manager of corporate services, said the human resources department did the surveys by compiling a list of positions from up to nine different places, ensuring each position matches one within the city’s own employment grid.
From there, officials used a percentile system to determine how much of a raise would be offered to employees via percentage. The target for the city was to ensure staff salaries were at the 60th percentile mark.
Although many of the cities used were comparable in size to St. Albert, Screpnek said that other cities and entities, such as the Province of Alberta or Edmonton, were used as comparators since they compete for the same labour pool.
“Part of the reason to use Edmonton as a comparator is because we don’t want to lose employees to them,” said Screpnek. “We want to be 60 per cent above our competitors.”
Out of a total of 12 pay ranks within the city, one rank known as 7A did not have any data at the time it was presented to council for acceptance in April. According to the city’s salary policy, positions that do not meet a solid or fair quality rating were thrown out, forcing a new report to be presented later this year.
Employees falling under that salary level received a three per cent increase in the interim.
Although Screpnek acknowledges the formula takes time to compile, the work is consistent with that used at other municipal and government positions throughout the province, he said. As a result, city staff is receiving raises that are in line with those in competing municipalities.
“We want to keep it fair and equitable,” he said.
