In October 2017, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors approved a contract for $100,000 with Koff & Associates to carry out a review of compensation for county employees. The term of the contract was for five months with an expected final report due in the summer of 2018. In the spring of 2018, Human Resources reported to the Board of Supervisors that the process had been delayed and that more time was needed. Human Resources returned to the Board of Supervisors again in September 2018 and requested a nine month extension on the Koff & Associates contract. The Board decided to add in a benefits review (something they did not require for their own salary review). The Board extended the contract to June 2019 and increased it by $25,000. A five month project ended up taking a year and a half and costing the County $25,000 more than originally planned.

While the Koff Study was going on, Human Resources completed and the Board of Supervisors approved compensation increases for numerous positions including department heads, elected officials, the CEO, and numerous managers without taking into account employee benefits. There seems to be a double standard between front line County staff and upper management.

The draft Total Compensation Study was released April 25, 2019. This is a review and analysis of the report.

Download a copy of the review and analysis of Koff and Associates study