Sec. 129.101. - Pay Grades, Salary Ranges, and Salaries.

(a) Appointed Officials Defined. For purposes of this Section, an appointed official is: (1) Any appointee of the Mayor or the Sheriff, whose appointment is approved or confirmed by the City Council; or (2) A Section Commander in the Office of the Sheriff. (b) Appointed Employees Defined. For purposes of this Section, an appointed employee is any appointee of the Mayor exempted from the Civil Service system under Section 17.06 of the Charter except for those appointed officials as defined in (a)(1) above and temporary, part-time, or special purpose employees. (c) Pay Grades and Salary Ranges. There are fixed pay grades and associated salary ranges for appointed officials of the City. Pay grades and salary ranges are readily available on the City's internal website. Pay grades and salary ranges shall be evaluated and assigned, on a yearly basis each October 1, to positions as follows: (1) Beginning in 2006, the Director of the Employee Services Department shall recommend the assignment of each appointed official position in the Executive Branch to one of the pay grades identified in this subsection, based on market studies, internal equity, and other relevant factors. Taking these recommendations into consideration, the Mayor shall have final authority to assign each appointed official position in the Executive Branch to one of these pay grades. (2) Beginning in 2006, the Director of the Employee Services Department shall recommend the assignment of each appointed official position and the Section Commander position in the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office to one of the pay grades identified in this subsection (c), based on marked studies, internal equity, and other relevant factors. Taking these recommendations into consideration, the Sheriff shall have final authority to assign each appointed official position and the Section Commander position in the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office to one of these pay grades. (3) When any appointed official position is created or materially changed, the Director of the Employee Services Department shall review the new or changed position and recommend its assignment to one of the pay grades established in this Subsection (c), based on market studies, internal equity, and other relevant factors. Final authority for assignment to a pay grade shall belong to the Mayor for positions in the Executive Branch. Final authority for assignment to a pay grade shall belong to the Sheriff for positions in the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. (4) The Director of the Employee Services Department is hereby authorized to adjust the salary ranges established by this Section no more frequently than once each year to be effective on October 1, with the first such adjustment occurring in October 2006. Salary range increases shall not exceed the percentage by which the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Cost Index has changed on a year-over-year basis since the most recent establishment or adjustment of the salary ranges. The base period for such adjustment shall be the quarter April—June. When the Director of the Employee Services Department adjusts pay ranges pursuant to this subsection, the new salary ranges shall be filed in writing with the Council Auditor and shall be maintained in the Employee Services Department's files. (5) The Mayor and the Sheriff shall each establish rules governing establishment of salary rates for existing and newly-appointed officials covered by this section, and for determining changes in pay rates, including but not limited to, increases, decreases, and payment of one-time non-recurring bonuses. These rules shall be filed in writing with the Council Auditor and shall be maintained in the Employee Services Department's files. Any changes to these rules shall be filed with the Council Auditor five working days prior to implementation. (6) No position assigned to a pay grade in subsection (1) or (2) above, or created in subsection (3) above, shall be reassigned more than two pay grades higher through the procedures outlined in subsection (c)(3). (d) Authority to set Mayoral appointed officials salaries. Within the ranges established in Section 129.101 (c), the Mayor shall have the authority to set and adjust salaries of individual appointed officials, taking into consideration such factors as comparable salaries in the competitive labor market for the position, competitive pressures for specialized skills and experience, the education, training and previous experience of the official, internal equity within the government and other relevant factors. (e) Authority to set Sheriff's appointed officials salaries. Within the pay ranges established in Section 129.101 (c), the Sheriff shall have the authority to set and adjust salaries of individual appointed officials and Assistant Division Chiefs, taking into consideration such factors as comparable salaries in the competitive labor market for the position, competitive pressures for specialized skills and experience, the education, training and previous experience of the official, internal equity within the government. (Ord. 2003-880-E, §§ 1, 4; Ord. 2006-955-E, § 1; Ord. 2009-549-E, § 3; Ord. 2011-732-E; Ord. 2023-208-E , § 9; Ord. 2024-634-E , § 5; Ord. 2024-992-E , § 1) Editor's note— Ord. 2003-880-E, §§ 1 and 4, amended the Code by repealing former § 129.101, subsections (a)(2)—(15), and (b)(3) and (4), and renumbering the remaining portions of former § 129.101 as a new § 129.112. For a legislative history of former § 129.101, please see the Code Comparative Table. Editor's note— Ordinance 2007-839-E, § 18, authorized updated department/division names pursuant to reorganization.