COVINGTON, Ga. - The Newton County Board of Commissioners voted at its Oct. 3 meeting to award a contract for an employee classification and compensation study to The Archer Company.

County Human Resources Director Keyra Fray told commissioners the last such study was completed over 10 years ago.

“What we basically have now is a system of outdated job classifications and pay scales that have made it difficult and challenging to recruit top talent,” she said.

Fray said the goal of the study is a complete overhaul of the county’s employee classification and compensation policy.

“We will endeavor to develop a policy that is fair, equitable and that recognizes and rewards top talent among current employees and also future employees.”

Under terms of the agreement, in addition to conducting a thorough analysis of county classifications to update and redefine them as necessary to reflect current operations and work assignments within the county, Archer will conduct a comprehensive market survey and analysis to assess the market competitiveness of the county’s salaries, benefits and pay practices to align the new pay plan with the competitive market.

It will also develop a pay plan that will accommodate the findings and balance internal equity with market consideration and train the county’s human resources staff in the use of the systems and methodology needed to maintain the pay plan internally.

Fray said the $48,630 agreement will build on the market study completed earlier this year that established a competitive salary structure for the county’s firefighters and deputies.

“We also worked with Archer very recently for the market adjustment for public safety,” she said. “So what is this going to result in is building on what we already started.”

Fray said the county took a conservative approach when implementing this year’s pay raises.

“It was a conservative approach, in that when we were finally able to do this study, we wouldn’t have overreached,” she said.

The measure was approved by a 4-1 vote. District 1 Commissioner Stan Edwards cast the lone no vote.