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Salary board increases wages; adds positions

By Patty Yauger pyauger@heraldstandard.Com 4 min read

Fayette County department second deputies will see a boost in their salary beginning in January.

On Wednesday, the salary board voted unanimously to hike the wages of all of those that hold the positions although only one was on the agenda for consideration.

Commissioner Vince Zapotosky said while he appreciated the evaluations completed by the human resource department, it was his opinion that all second deputies should receive the 42-cent per hour raise.

“Even though their roles are different, one is being awarded and the other is not being given that same benefit,” he said. “I know it may go against the grain, but it should be done for equity and equality.”

Denise Stepanik, human resource director, said that she had reviewed the workload of certain staff to conclude changes in pay grades or titles, and was making recommendations based on those findings.

However, the recommendations did not include all those holding a second deputy position.

“I have done a very careful review of all the second deputies,” said Stepanik, adding that the union contract called for the workers to be classified at the step 10 level. “In evaluating the deputies, I looked at their current work and the additional duties that were being added (due to the increase in the overall department workload) and made an assessment.”

While some second deputies had typical workloads, others had been given more “complex work,” thereby making them eligible for a pay hike, said Stepanik.

“They were doing above and beyond what a second deputy was doing,” she said. “I was very careful in taking my time to do the audit and placed very careful standards.”

It was unclear how many second deputies would be included in the pay hike and how it would impact the 2016 budget.

The annual salary will move from $38,707 to $39,526 annually.

Zapotosky, meanwhile, said that it was critical that all second deputies be paid the same wage and asked for support from his fellow salary board members in attendance.

The action was approved by Zapotosky along with acting Controller Sydney Bush and Commissioner Al Ambrosini. Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink did not attend the meeting.

In other action, the board members in attendance approved the creation of a parks and recreation manager position within the building and grounds department.

According to the job description, the manager would be required to coordinate park development, open space and greenways/trail recreation and conservation projects, such as the Sheepskin Trail.

Ambrosini said that the county will submit a grant to defray 75 percent of the $38,181 annual salary.

“It is very difficult to keep the parks appropriately maintained,” he said. “The person hired will be responsible for organizing events.

“There are remarkable things that can be done, but we need someone to be in charge of doing so.”

In other matters, the board also conducted the following business:

n Ratified the 2016 salaries for union and non-union workers. Union members will receive their respective contractual wages with non-union employees to receive a 3 1/2-percent raise, according to the adopted budget.

n Upgraded two court administrative assistants from non-union pay grade 4 to 9 with an accompanying annual salary of $24,905.

n Created a human resource department administrative assistant position at an annual salary of $23,965.

n Upgraded two clerks in the prothonotary office and increased their annual salary to $29,693.

n Agreed to restructure the longevity payment of those that were moved from union to non-union supervisory positions and lost their seniority during the move. The payment will be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2015, although the discrepancy in some cases dated back to 2013.

n Upgraded two treasurer office accounting clerks and adjusted their annual salary to $23,413.

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