Salary board discusses pay study
The Fayette County Salary Board Wednesday discussed the need to initiate a pay study for all non-union county employees after President Judge Conrad Capuzzi sought guidance on how to deal with pay inequities among court employees. Capuzzi said he was really asking the salary board for advice because there are union court employees who are “approaching or exceeding” the salaries of management non-union court employees. Capuzzi said he was hesitant to make a motion to initiate a pay study because he could only make a request for such a study for the court employees under his jurisdiction.
Commission Chairman Vincent Zapotosky said the pay inequity issue was discussed at a previous salary board meeting, adding that he is prepared to move forward with it.
Capuzzi said he didn’t know if the issue affected just him, adding that some people are making salaries that are off the salary chart.
Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink said the board is aware of the inequities in various county departments, adding that a salary study was done prior to her first taking office in 2004.
Zimmerlink said the salary board could make a recommendation to the county commissioners to conduct a pay study, but then pointed out that the salary board would be essentially making a recommendation to itself because the three county commissioners are all on the salary board.
In addition to the three commissioners, the salary board also is composed of the county controller and, for votes on offices headed by elected officials, the elected official also serves as a member of the board for their office.
The previously salary study was done in 2001 and 2002 and implemented in 2003.
“It needs to be tweaked,” Zapotosky said.
Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites said it cost several hundred thousand dollars to implement the last study, but only about $20,000 to $30,000 to have the study performed.
Vicites said because it is a professional service, such a study would not have to be bid out. He suggested that Felice Associates of Greensburg, the firm that handles the county human resources, could do the study because Felice completed the last study.
Further discussion about the need for a pay study came about after a request was made by Michelle Grant Shumar, director of the county Office of Human and Community Services and Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation, for pay increases for union and non union positions. Shumar made the same request at a previously salary board meeting.
Zapotosky said he felt changing the language of the request for raises was “disingenuous.”
Vicites said he was in favor of a salary study across the board.
“If we piecemeal it we will end up with more inequities,” Vicites said.
In a letter she submitted to the salary board members, Shumar said the request was not to be “misconstrued as raises for some department managers.”
The letter points out that the budget activities encompass three fiscal years.
Shumar said she is looking for specifics, to which Zapotosky replied that she could use current salary figures for planning purposes.
Shumar said she sees herself as in the same position as Capuzzi.
Zimmerlink said if Shumar is saying there is an increase of services, the board needs to know what that entails.
“There is not consistency. Union members are making more money than supervisors,” Zimmerlink said.
Zapotosky said he would like to see raises across the board, and not because someone works at an agency that has a $12 million budget.
“This is a raise,” Zapotosky said of the request. “All we are doing is painting it with a different brush.”
Shumar said direction has been given for FACT to transfer certain clients. Zapotosky said if Shumar is referencing a call he made about transportation for a client, the issue involves an individual with Down syndrome who was left at his place of work for two hours.
“If my inquiry caused stress, I apologize,” Zapotosky said.
Pam Johnson of the Service Employees International Union said the union isn’t against Shumar’s proposal to increase union members starting salaries.
Dominick Carnicelli, county human resource director of Felice Associates, said human resources is concerned about opening the contract for new pay grades because it would compromise the county’s ability to negotiate when the contract is negotiated. The contract ends in 2009.
Johnson said she thinks it is time for a new study.
The salary board also voted to create five full-time small bus transit operation positions at a rate of $19,110 annually.
The motion was approved after Vicites expressed concerns about approving the creation of additional bus drivers before bids are received for busing subcontractors next week.
The county is in the process of receiving bids for bus subcontractors that would begin next fiscal year, starting on July 1.
Shumar said she came up with 15 positions after looking at all FACT and subcontractor drivers. She said there have been concerns by some subcontractors about continuing to work with the county because of higher operating costs.
Vicites said he is concerned about voting to create more positions before the bid process is complete because it may send a mixed message.
Zapotosky said the commissioners have the final say on hiring any additional employees.
“All hires come before the commissioners. Only the county commissioners can hire,” Zimmerlink said.
The motion to create five more driver positions passed 3-1, with Zapotosky, Zimmerlink and Jeanine Wrona of the controller’s office voting in favor. Vicites abstained from voting.
The salary board approved setting the daily compensation rate of assessment appeals board members at $100 per day per person.
The county is in the midst of doing a three-year revaluation of all properties.
herald_standa477:
http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19710623