ST. LOUIS — City officials struggling to hire and retain employees are hoping to update pay rates, and looking for outside contractors to help.
The Department of Personnel put out its request for proposals this week. Firms have until 4 p.m. April 19 to submit their bids.
The winning bidder will be tasked with recommending new pay scales and updating job descriptions for more than 600 different civil service positions. If past studies are any guide, they’ll likely provide comparisons with similar-sized cities in the Midwest and governments around the metro region.
The city has budgeted $200,000 for the salary study in hopes it will help the Personnel Department address the growing number of unfilled jobs that made up 30% of the budgeted workforce as of February.
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Such gaps have been blamed for problems with picking up trash and recycling, getting ambulances to emergencies, towing derelict vehicles, trimming dead trees, and properly staffing police districts.
City Hall last commissioned a compensation study in 2019. The results, released in early 2021, recommended bumping annual payroll by 7.6%, or $22.4 million.
It didn’t happen that year. But since then, payroll has risen significantly. In the current fiscal year, the city budget includes a $25 million payroll increase covering 8%-13% bumps for police and firefighters and smaller increases for other city employees.