The Collins Report on Rehoboth Employee Compensation

The Edward Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management was hired to evaluate the workings of town government in Rehoboth. Last June, the report was completed.

The Classification and Compensation Study noted Rehoboth’s rural qualities: “One of the unique challenges of operating in a rural setting is the significant variation in community size, which directly affects available resources and staffing capacity. While this doesn’t necessarily alter the market value of specific roles, it does complicate direct comparisons. In smaller towns like Rehoboth, employees often have a different volume of workload and different essential functions compared to their counterparts in larger, more robust municipalities, even though the position titles are the same.”

“The analysis of the market data against Rehoboth revealed that the Town’s compensation was below the maximum rates of the labor market. However, taking into consideration that Rehoboth does not have pay ranges, it is incorrect to say the pay is “below” the market. The current rate of most positions falls within the labor market survey range.  A small number of positions, primarily in specialized or technical fields, currently fall below market averages. These roles are in particularly high demand across the state, which has driven up average wages significantly.”

“We are confident that the recommended position descriptions, along with the proposed classification and compensation plan, will provide a strong foundation to support the Town’s workforce for many years to come,” the report noted. “We are grateful to the Select Board Members, and the Interim Director of Finance and Compliance, Sue Pimental, who assisted in the facilitation of this project. We believe the recommended position descriptions and recommended classification and compensation plan will serve the Town well for many years to come.” 

The Board of Selectmen voted last month to combine the roles of the Town Administrator and the Director of Finance into a new position.

“We concluded there were deficiencies in the contract for Town Administrator,” Chairman Skip Vadnais explained. “It did not include long-term planning, budget reviews, investment oversight, financial analysis, etc.”

Town Administrator Deborah Arruda’s contract expires on June 30, along with Pimental’s contract.

Selectman David Pereira and Selectman George Solas will be scheduling interviews for the new position.