Carbon County is raising salaries for the caseworkers in Children and Youth Services to be more in line with larger, surrounding counties.

On Thursday, the salary board voted to change the rates of 15 caseworkers and one supervisor, as well as establish positions for additional caseworkers, a social services aide, solicitor and master hearing officer.

“The pay for caseworker II in larger surrounding counties are in the $22 range,” said Commissioner Rocky Ahner. “What’s happening is when our caseworkers go from I to II, they’re sort of like stealing them. … Basically, we’re training caseworkers for surrounding counties.”

The new salaries include:

• Changing the rate of eight county caseworkers I from $14.53 per hour to $16.02 per hour.

• Changing the rate of seven county caseworkers II from $17.51 per hour to $18.93 per hour.

• Establishing the positions of two county caseworkers II at $18.93 per hour.

• Changing the rate of one county caseworker supervisor I from $18.52 per hour to $20.22 per hour.

• Establishing the position of one social services aide I at $13.58 per hour.

• Establishing the positions of three part-time county caseworkers II at $20 per hour, not expected to work 1,000 hours.

• Establishing the position of one solicitor at $67,500 per year.

• Establishing the position of one part-time master hearing officer at $300 a day, not expected to work 1,000 hours.

Ahner said that the motions bring these salaries into competitive levels with other sixth class counties. In addition, establishing the additional positions will help reduce the caseload per caseworker.

Carbon County pays 20 percent of a Children and Youth employee’s salary, while the remaining 80 percent is paid by the state.

Ahner noted that the $1.50 increase per employee equates to a cost to the county of 30 cents per hour, or a total cost of approximately $29,000.

“This is a well-spent expense for the children of Carbon County,” he said.

Ahner also commended Jill Geissinger, director of Children and Youth, for her efforts to improve the department and working to clean up case backlogs.

“We’re trying to be pretty proactive to get us up to standard,” he said.

Mark Sverchek, county controller, also told the board previously that the funding per child in Carbon County is low and suggested additional funds in next year’s Children and Youth budget that is sent to the state, Ahner said.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said he hopes that this move will entice some of the former employees to come back to Carbon.

He noted that the county is still down about eight positions in that office.

He noted the caseload per worker warrants the additional staff and investment in the department.

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