HANCEVILLE — Current and future employees of the city of Hanceville will soon be compensated through a newly-revised pay scale; one that aims to compete with other municipalities as well as the private sector in attracting quality staffing talent — especially at the entry level.

At its regular meeting Jan. 9, the Hanceville City Council approved the revision to the city’s existing stepped pay scale, maintaining the incremental stepped structure that assesses each employee’s qualification and training, while also boosting the starting pay for entry-level positions across the board.

“To get good people and keep good people, I think we have to basically pay what the going [labor market] rate is now,” councilmember John Stam said in motioning to approve the measure. All current employees will soon be placed on the new system, with Hanceville Mayor Jimmy Sawyer noting that no employees will see their pay decrease under the new stepped structure.

Though a handful of employees might see their current pay slightly increase with the move, the conversion won’t immediately lead to markedly significant pay increases for most city staff. Rather, employees will be brought into the new system at a step level that favorably approximates their current status, as Hanceville leaders await the passing of a new 2025-2026 city budget (which takes effect on Oct. 1) before devoting funds to pay adjustments that exceed the city’s customary annual cost-of-living and incremental percentage raises.

Hanceville staffs approximately 70 employees, including approximately 40 who are employed full-time. All new hires will automatically be placed on the newly revised stepped pay scale system, while current employees will be brought on board over the course of the next few weeks. The change will apply to both hourly and salaried city employees.

In other business at its regular meeting, the council:

— Ratified Dec. 26, 2024 as an additional paid holiday for city employees.

— Authorized Sawyer to represent the city by entering into a contract with the State of Alabama for the final phase of the city’s ongoing drainage project work along U.S. Hwy 31. Funding for the work already has been made available through the Alabama Department of Transportation.

— Approved up to $800 in cost for new signage at the Hanceville branch of the Cullman County Public Library, to reflect the library’s recent name change honoring retired former employee Shirley Burden.

— Tabled until its next regular meeting consideration of an agreement with the AirMedCare Network that, if approved, would offer air-based medical evacuation services to Hanceville residents.

— Approved the minutes of the council’s Dec. 19, 2024 regular meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Hanceville City Council will be held on Thursday, Jan. 23, at the council meeting room at Hanceville City Hall. A 5 p.m. public work session will immediately precede the meeting, which will begin at the end of the work session.

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 234.