The Town of Essex is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, USA and has a 2026 population of 11,487. The Town of Essex is seeking a professional consultant or firm to perform a compensation analysis for all non-police Town employees. The Town seeks to ensure all positions include competitive compensation packages that consider regional availability and demand of specific skills, existing internal equity, collective bargaining agreements, and the financial pressures under which the primarily property-tax funded Town operates. This work is to be complete by September 30, 2026 and will involve a final presentation to the Selectboard.
A statement of qualifications (SOQ) is sought from interested firms who are prepared to:
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Perform a comprehensive, regionally based compensation analysis for approximately 50 total positions: 24 AFSCME Union positions and 26 non-union positions;
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Review current job descriptions with Manager’s Office to ensure existing pay and grade classifications remain appropriate;
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Identify areas of internal inequity amongst similarly skilled and staffed positions;
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Provide recommendations around best practices for the Town to improve pay transparency, equity, competitiveness, and employee retention;
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Provide a draft report to the Manager’s Office for comment 30 days ahead of planned presentation with Selectboard;
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Give presentation regarding study outcomes to Selectboard (anticipated August or September 2026);
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Provide a final written report within 30 days of presentation.
The Town of Essex last conducted a compensation analysis in 2023; prior studies, current pay scales, and existing Union contracts will be provided.
The consultant shall take into consideration the pay and benefits offered by The Town of Essex compared to similar municipalities / employers, an employee’s
years of service with Town of Essex and years of experience in similar positions with other employers,
current and recently open positions in the job market, and total compensation for similar positions with similar employers.
II. SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS
Statements of Qualifications shall include the following:
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Letter of Interest
: Brief overview of the firm and its interest in the project. This letter should identify a point of contact for the Town of Essex and
list the name of the firm, address, phone number, and e-mail address
.
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Project Approach
: Description of the firm’s methodology for conducting the compensation analysis and other identified tasks.
Task descriptions should fully discuss the steps to be followed in carrying out the work. Sufficient detail should be presented to show a clear understanding of the work and the proposed approach.
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Timeline
: Proposed detailed timeline for completing each task listed above.
A timetable should accompany the work description showing the expected sequence of tasks and resource requirements for both the contractor and the Town of Essex.
The Town of Essex expects that this work will be completed within 3-4 months of contract execution, which is expected within 30 days of the submittal deadline.
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Relevant Experience
: Examples of similar projects and outcomes, ideally for Vermont municipalities.
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Cost Proposal
: A comprehensive cost proposal inclusive of all anticipated direct and indirect project costs.
SOQs must be emailed to
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by 4:30 pm EST on May 27, 2026. Late proposals will not be accepted.
The Town of Essex reserves the right to seek clarification of any proposal submitted and to select the proposal considered to best promote the public interest. All proposals become the property of the Town of Essex upon submission. The cost of preparing, submitting, and presenting a proposal is the sole expense of the contractor.
II
I. SELECTION BASIS
Firm selection will be based on a combination of the following proposal components:
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Experience
: Proven experience in conducting compensation studies or similar analyses.
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Expertise
: Knowledge of municipal government and staffing, collective bargaining, human resources, compensation analysis, and other similar skillsets.
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Staff Qualifications
:
List the
names and provides resumes for principals of the firm, and the qualifications of the project manager and key staff assigned to the project.
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Cost
: Affordability of services. While not the primary basis of selection, competitiveness of price will be considered. A budget of $35,000 to $45,000 has been established for this project.
If deemed necessary, a short list of qualified contractors may be selected for informal interviews from those who submitted proposals. If requested, these will take place at the Town of Essex offices and may be done in-person and/or remotely.
The Town of Essex reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received as a result of this solicitation, to negotiate with any qualified source, to waive any formality and any technicalities or to cancel the RFQ in part or in its entirety if it is in the best interest of the Town of Essex. This solicitation of proposals in no way obligates the Town of Essex to award a contract.
IV. AVAILABLE INFORMATION
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Information on the Town of Essex, including union contracts, organizational chart, personnel guidelines, and job descriptions, will be provided to the chosen consultant.
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The 2025 Vermont League of Cities and Towns’ Annual Compensation Report for Vermont Municipalities.
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The recent Gallagher Flynn & Company (2019) and Hickok & Boardman (2023) studies conducted for the Town of Essex.
V. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Equal Employment Opportunity
The contractor shall comply with the applicable provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, Executive Order 11246 as amended by Executive Order 11375 and as supplemented by the Department of Labor regulations (41DFR Part 60). The Contractor shall comply with all the requirements of Title 21, V.S.A., Chapter 5, Subchapters 6 and 7, relating to fair employment practices to the extent applicable. A similar provision shall be included in any and all subcontracts.
Insurance
The Contractor shall take out and maintain during the life of this project, such Comprehensive General Bodily Injury Liability Insurance and Property Damage Liability Insurance as shall protect them and any employee for personal injury, including accidental death, as well as, from claims for property damage, which may arise from operations under this project, whether such operations by themselves or by any employee or by anyone directly or indirectly employed by them. The contractor shall have minimum umbrella coverage or $1,000,000 per occurrence.
