Salary is pretty underwhelming. It is a mistake to make a career move based on salary alone, but at least know that your salary potential will likely be capped at CivicPlus.
Management has a belief that increased salaries don't drive employee engagement, therefore high salaries are not worth the cost to the company. It also seems that the company gives fringe benefits as a way to help keep people satisfied with their salaries - e.g. gigantic break room with lots of drinks/stuff, large company Christmas party.
There is also a stated belief that the cost of living in Manhattan KS is significantly less than other places - but the truth is that it depends on the comparison. One could live in some areas of Kansas City for about the same as in Manhattan, and nationally the cost of living in MHK is close to the median.
It seems more common than normal to hear about people leaving for higher pay, e.g. one individual in a specialized technical role, who was invaluable to the company, left for an overnight 100% pay raise.
However, I suspect that there is a large degree of variation in the salaries at CivicPlus, and management seems to listen to reason (moreso than other executives that I've worked with). Negotiate wages if you get an offer and let them know that salary is something that incentivizes you.
Another con could be the "startup" feel of CivicPlus. If you like having all of your responsibilities clearly defined and instructions handed to you, you'll hate it here, but if you're someone who likes to take their own initiative and manage their own responsibilities you'll like it here. It depends on what you want.
The company is objectively understaffed, which means that people end up having a bazillion things on their plate.
