Wilmington residents react to $220,000 salary study

WILMINGTON — Many Wilmington residents want to know why the City is spending $220,000 on a study of City employee salaries.

The City wants to compare the salaries of Wilmington employees with those of their counterparts in other cities, and judging by the comments on our website, viewers have plenty to say.

The study will be commissioned because multiple departments think their salaries lag behind other cities. But residents wanted to know why the City chose to pay more than $200,000 for an independent company to conduct the study — and why the City isn't simply doing the study itself.

Mayor Saffo said that a major reason for a third-party perspective is to avoid bias and criticism.

Saffo said, "If our City human relations director came to us with a recommendation, I guarantee you it would be criticized. When it's an independent third party that's looking at it, which has no dog in the fight, then that person will look at it objectively."

The study will not only look at employee salaries, but will also adjust for cost of living expenses.