(A) A pay plan, prepared and incorporated as part of this chapter, shall prescribe for each class a minimum and maximum rate of pay, and all employees occupying positions in a class shall be compensated at a rate no less than the minimum and no more than the maximum amount of the grade in which the position is assigned. All personnel who currently receive pay at the maximum rate for their particular class will continue to receive pay raises as provided by the budget (i.e., merit raises or yearly increment).
(B) At least once each fiscal year, preferably during the budget process, the County Judge/Executive or his or her designee shall:
(1) Analyze fluctuations in the cost of living;
(2) Examine the wage range for each class of positions in the classified service to ascertain whether minimum and maximum wages should be raised or lowered for a particular class during the succeeding 12 months; and
(3) Upon the basis of the comparison, analysis and examination, submit to the Fiscal Court recommendations or amendments to the pay plan.
(C) Reclassification of an employee’s position from one class to another of comparable pay range shall affect no change of wage for the employee.
(D) An employee whose position is reclassified from one class to a higher class shall enter the higher class at its minimum wage, unless this minimum is lower than the affected employee’s present wage. If that is the case, the employee shall enter the class at his or her then present wage at the time the reclassification is effected:
(1) If that wage exceeds that minimum, he or she shall continue to receive at least his or her present wage; and
(2) If that wage exceeds the maximum, he or she shall receive only the maximum.
(E) Whenever the County Judge/Executive submits to the Fiscal Court that a position be reclassified to a class that requires a higher wage, he or she shall likewise submit with it an estimate of the financial requirements of the wage increase that the reclassification would require.
(F) In the event that an employee enters a higher class by promotion, the wage in the higher class shall be the minimum wage for that class, unless that minimum is lower than, or the same as, the wage at the time of the promotion. In that event, the County Judge/Executive shall set a wage within the pay range of the higher class based on the promoted employee’s skills, knowledge and abilities.
(G) In the event that an employee is demoted, the County Judge/Executive shall set the employee’s wage at the minimum level of the class to which the employee has been demoted.
(H) For an employee transferred from a position in one class to a position in an equivalent class, the transfer shall affect no change in rate of pay.
(I) The County Judge/Executive and department heads shall conduct annual evaluations of the performance of each employee as set forth in § 30.096 of this chapter. The overall results of each employee performance evaluation shall be used for the basis of granting promotions and pay increases. Any promotions or adjustments that will increase the expenses of the county require a budgetary review and approval by the Fiscal Court.
(J) An appointee (hire) to a new or vacant position shall receive the minimum wage of the class to which the position is allocated, except that through written documentation the County Judge/Executive may cause the appointment to be made at a wage above the minimum, but not more than maximum, for the class if:
(1) In cases of unusual difficulty in filling a position; or
(2) In hiring exceptionally qualified personnel.
(K) In no case will an employee be paid in advance for work time.
(Ord. 4-2014, passed 7-31-2014, § 3.15)