Localities Boundaries May Be Widened

A decision likely will be made in the upcoming months regarding whether to expand the boundaries of one or more of the metropolitan zones used to set general schedule locality pay. Under consideration is the addition of Hampden County, Mass., to the Hartford locality, Barnstable, Mass., to the Boston area, Monroe County, Fla. to the Miami area, and Larimer County, Colo., to the Denver area. Even if the Federal Salary Council-a group of agency and outside compensation experts-agrees, though, the boundaries likely would not be expanded until 2004 at the earliest.