March 18, 2025 Audit Committee

The Ulster County Legislature's Audit Committee met on March 18, 2025, to review a comprehensive salary study conducted by Baker Tilly, as mandated by a 2022 resolution. The study analyzed internal and external equity of county pay plans, using job evaluation questionnaires, market salary data from peer organizations, and economic research tools. The presentation highlighted inconsistencies across multiple pay plans and proposed consolidating them into a single, transparent pay structure with 34 grades and nine consistent steps to improve fairness and administration. Three implementation scenarios were discussed, with estimated costs ranging from approximately $2.4 million to $5 million to align employee salaries with the new pay plan. Committee members raised concerns about the applicability of the study to specific positions such as corrections officers, noting challenges in benchmarking salaries against neighboring jurisdictions and state prisons, which pay higher wages and experience staffing shortages. The study did not include fringe benefits or take vacancies into account. The committee discussed the need for ongoing review and adjustment of the compensation system to maintain equity and market competitiveness.