County Wage Decision Left to Future Commissioners
Commissioner David Battaglia reads details from the resolution fixing the salaries of all county officers Thursday morning.
By Jonathan Weaver
If some County employees are selected for a raise in two years, all employees will receive a raise.
As was discussed during a public hearing two weeks ago, nearly a dozen elected County employees – such as coroner, sheriff and the three county commissioners – will only receive a pay increase in 2016 if commissioners elect to give a zero through three percent raise to non-bargaining unit employees.
Commissioner Chair David Battaglia said all discussion took place at the public hearing – which lasted less than 20 minutes and was only attended by Coroner Brian Myers, Register and Recorder Marianne Hileman, Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts Brenda George, Treasurer Amanda Hiles and the three county commissioners. They made up seven of the 11 elected officials impacted by the resolution officially adopted last week.
“We didn’t have any additional discussion or receive any additional comments,” Battaglia said.
Battaglia said the action – which affects those from calendar year 2016 until 2019 - will stand unless superseded by the next Board of Commissioners.
Commissioner Richard Fink added that further discussion would violate the Sunshine Law. At the hearing, Fink recommended adopting the resolution due to the unknown of future department budgets.
The resolution was unanimously adopted.
As Battaglia previously read from the statute, no new salary schedule is to be adopted in a calendar year in which the county commissioners are up for election, and any salary increase shall be on a percentage basis and applied equally to all county officials except in certain circumstances with elected jury commissioners.
The salaries for District Attorney Scott Andreassi and judges are set by separate legislation.
Before adopting the resolution, commissioners recognized an upcoming Children, Youth and Family Services (CYF) event that emphasizes adopting children.
Administrator Denny Demangone gave insight into the “Celebrate National Adoption Day” reception from 11:30AM-2PM this Saturday at the Belmont Complex in East Franklin Township.
Six private adoption agencies – including the Bair Foundation, Bethany of Pittsburgh, The Adoption Connection, Family Pathways, Adelophoi Village and The Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN) – will be available with photographs and biographies of waiting children, according to Parent Resource Coordinator Carol Pontius.
Paralegal with Legal Services Initiative of the Statewide Adoption Network (SWAN) Lynn Kovar said the event will also take questions about foster care.
“Foster care is now considered a route toward adoption, so at that point, we will also be looking for additional foster homes,” Kovar said. “Especially for our older children.
“There are some really great kids out there.”
Commissioner Rich Fink read why during the proclamation.
“More than 2,600 children of the 19,500 children in foster care in Pennsylvania have adoption in their permanency plan (but) rarely are these children the newborns people picture when they think of adoption. Many of these children are older children or children who have special needs because of a physical, mental or emotional disability and others must be placed as a sibling group,” Fink read. “Adoption gives them a brighter future, brings great joy to the adoptive parents and places fewer demands on social services.”
Free ice skating and skate rental for the first 100 people will be available from 11:30AM-12:45PM. Lunch will also be provided to all who attend.
Commissioners – who proclaimed November “Adoption Awareness Month” -encouraged all ages to attend
Local News | jweaver November 10, 2014
By jorn jensen, November 10, 2014 @ 8:03 AM
So, raises are not on performance or merit? It is just Pixie dust spread everywhere?
I wish I had known about the public meeting - you’d have had one other in attendance.
By blutoblutarsky, November 11, 2014 @ 10:40 AM
Maybe they were done on performance or merit at one point and there were issues with “friends” getting raises they shouldn’t have, so a new system was adopted.
I’m sure they would have been thrilled with your attendance and it would have completely changed the outcome of the meeting!