Editor’s note: Carbon County set salaries for all the departments this week. We have broken down some of the arguments over the attempt to set fair wages for workers.

By Amy Miller

amiller@tnonline.com

Three row office holders who oversee court-related and law enforcement in the county have requested several pay increases for their staff, but most requests were denied.

On Wednesday, during the second part of the Carbon County annual Salary Board meeting, Sheriff Dan Zeigler, District Attorney Michael Greek and Chief Public Defender Paul Levy requested the exhibits the county proposed be approved, which passed unanimously.

The trio then made separate motions modifying several positions for increases. Most failed in 3-2 votes; however there were a few requests that passed 3-2. Commissioners Rocky Ahner and Chris Lukasevich cast no votes, while Commissioner Wayne Nothstein and the row officer cast yes votes. The deciding vote came from Controller Mark Sverchek.

District attorney

Greek said that he had updated job descriptions and completed his own salary analysis in September, but wasn’t sure if his findings were sent to Evergreen, the company hired to study wages.

“I looked at the numbers that were similar to our caseload numbers and averages,” Greek said, noting that his motions were in line with his study.

He was approved for increasing the hourly wages for his office manager and legal secretary II.

The hourly wage was decreased for the victim/witness coordinator since that position rate was higher than Greek felt it should be.

He was rejected in his request to increase the salaries for his full-time and part-time assistant district attorneys.

After those votes, Ahner said that his vote was based on the large increases that he couldn’t justify with the figures. He added that this can be readdressed as the board works to complete the wage scale process.

“I think we have to go through the channels and get this set,” he said. “It will help for the upcoming years.”

Greek commended the board and HR department for their work, but said he wished row officers were included in discussions before receiving the approved scales last month.

Public defender

In the public defender’s motions, Levy had several motions because based on neighboring counties. Even with the increases the board approved, Carbon still falls short for public defenders.

“There’s a huge problem with lots of counties in retaining and also employing in both the public defender and district attorney offices,” Levy said, listing several counties that have openings for public defenders.

“My concern is I have a really good staff. I don’t want to lose any of these individuals,” he added. “I think what the salary study has done for the support staff is great, it’s going to keep us in a position or be able to maintain them. But I don’t want to lose my staff of attorneys as well.”

Levy said the public defenders must do their own investigations.

In the end, Levy’s requested increases between 4 and 8% for three full-time assistant public defenders were rejected. Second and third motions with lower increases were also rejected.

One part-time assistant public defender salary increase of 1% was approved 3-2.

Sheriff

Zeigler also made several motions adjusting the rates that were included in the exhibit.

Before his motions, Zeigler pointed out that the department is contributing back $75,000 as a result of vacant positions last year. His motions add up to an additional $8,000.

“That would pay for all the alternate motions for the next nine years,” he said, adding that this doesn’t take into account the approximate $153,000 that the sheriff’s office contributes back to the county.

Zeigler pointed to misclassifications of some employees, specifically the chief deputy and asked that they be resolved.

In the end, the board voted 3-2 to decrease the salary of the chief real estate clerk position and use that money to increase the administrative assistant and civil process clerk positions.

Rates of one special deputy sheriff trainee and two part-time security guards were increased. Lukasevich and Ahner voted no, while Zeigler, Sverchek and Nothstein voted yes.

The increase for the chief deputy failed.

Zeigler asked if a meeting could be scheduled to reevaluate the classifications.

The board told him that this would be a topic to discuss in the next salary board executive session ahead of the February meeting.

In addition to these actions, the board also approved the positions and salaries covered under the Carbon County Sheriff’s Association Union agreement, and established a position for one deputy sheriff and one deputy sheriff that will be reimbursed from the Children and Youth Services budget.