Payroll costs for the City of Minot would increase by about 3.2% in a proposed 2026 annual pay and employee classification plan.

The city’s Civil Service Commission will hold a public hearing Wednesday at 10 a.m. in City Hall on the plan. Unlike in the past, the proposed plan makes no adjustments based on comparative wages in the market, However, it includes step-based progressions within the pay schedule. The cost to implement the step adjustments is estimated at $844,300, according to information from the Civil Service Commission.

The plan reflects the outcome of a comprehensive review of the city’s compensation structure facilitated by Herron Palmer Consulting, the Civil Service Commission stated in its report. The review produced a streamlined structure that consolidated the previous 62 pay grades into 27 grades with clearly defined minimum, midpoint and maximum salary ranges.

In addition, the pay plan’s updates include:

– the addition of positions for mobility manager, public safety analyst, lead equipment operator and contract compliance coordinator.

– restructuring of the Public Safety Answering Points (dispatch) management positions.

– pay grade adjustment for the digital forensic analyst position to reflect heightened responsibilities, market competitiveness and investments in specialized training.

The Civil Service Commission report stated the intention is to transition in future budget cycles toward integrating salary, benefits and performance incentives into a compensation strategy.