Grand Traverse County, MI, faced mounting challenges in managing pension liabilities and labor negotiations—two critical factors for the county’s long-term financial health. Delays in receiving pension liability projections created roadblocks during crucial decision-making periods. “It could be six months before we got our questions answered,” explained Chris Forsyth, Deputy County Administrator for Grand Traverse County. These long wait times often stalled collective bargaining negotiations and limited the county’s ability to plan effectively.
Beyond pension challenges, the county needed help to keep pace with modern labor market demands. With recruitment and retention pressures mounting, the need for real-time compensation data became more urgent. To navigate these issues, Grand Traverse required a solution to deliver fast, accurate projections and empower them with up-to-date data for collective bargaining success.
Real-Time Data for Collective Bargaining Success
Grand Traverse County first heard of GovInvest through a referral from the City of Rochester, another satisfied GovInvest client, and immediately saw the potential. GovInvest’s Pension solution offered the speed and precision they needed to manage pension liabilities more efficiently. In 2019, the county adopted the Pension module and was able to run projections quickly and accurately—transforming how they approached financial planning.
Building on that success, Grand Traverse County added GovInvest’s Labor Costing and Live Compensation solutions to revolutionize their processes during negotiations. With real-time data on labor costs and compensation benchmarks now at their fingertips, the county found a game-changing tool for effective collective bargaining. “We wanted simpler data to digest and a more visual representation of the numbers,” Forsyth shared.
Empowering Smarter, Faster Decisions
GovInvest’s solutions quickly became a cornerstone in the county’s collective bargaining strategy. By leveraging both the Labor Costing and Live Compensation modules, Grand Traverse County was able to equip the Board of Commissioners with real-time insights during negotiations—resulting in faster, more informed decision-making. “We just wrapped up two of our collective bargaining agreements,” Forsyth explained. “Having both Labor Costing and Live Compensation available during negotiations made it easy to answer union questions on the spot.”
This real-time access dramatically reduced the lengthy back-and-forth process that had previously delayed progress for months. Forsyth added, “With GovInvest, we’re able to forecast and make adjustments in real time, which has been crucial for us.”
A Strategic Investment in Workforce Planning
For Grand Traverse County, GovInvest is more than a tool for managing pension liabilities—it's a strategic asset driving their financial and workforce goals. The GovInvest platform aligns perfectly with the county’s objective of becoming a choice employer by increasing compensation transparency and enhancing the efficiency of its financial decision-making process.
“We’re now integrating data from both the Labor Costing and Live Compensation solutions to support our strategic goals around talent attraction and retention,” Forsyth noted. The easy-to-interpret visuals and real-time reporting provided by GovInvest have empowered the county to stay ahead of labor market shifts and budgetary challenges.
Real-Time Data, Real Results
GovInvest has not only streamlined pension liability management for Grand Traverse County, but also transformed how they conduct labor negotiations. With access to real-time data, the county has significantly reduced the time needed to process scenarios and has saved valuable resources—allowing them to focus on long-term workforce planning and financial forecasting.
Today, Grand Traverse County is well-positioned to tackle the complexities of collective bargaining, compensation transparency, and pension liabilities—ensuring they remain competitive and financially secure as a public sector employer.
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