Carbon County officials are beginning to look at positions that filed appeals following the salary study.

On Thursday, the county salary board voted to establish the position of a voter registration specialist and abolish the department clerk III position, both effective June 5.

Jane Krebs, a longtime elections employee who served as the department clerk III, will now serve as the voter registration specialist.

“This is one of the things at elections that I said last year we should have redone the whole department,” said Commissioner Rocky Ahner, adding that this is a new classification of Krebs’ position due to an updated job description.

The new position represents and 86-cent per hour raise. The salary study provided her with only a 6-cent per hour raise at the beginning of the year.

“If we go through the proper channels, people will get the salary they deserve,” he said.

Commissioner Chris Lukasevich said that he feels this “reinforces what our position has been for about a handful of positions,” adding that they would be reexamined at an appropriate time.

He pointed out that this position is a good example because it went through the process, was reviewed by the human resources department, who then made the recommendation for the increase.

In other salary board matters, two positions in District Judge Eric Schrantz’ office were adjusted in 4-1 votes, with President Judge Roger Nanovic, Controller Mark Sverchek, Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein and Ahner voting for the adjustments, while Lukasevich cast a no vote.

The motions were to change the rate of one office supervisor I from $19.97 per hour to $18.09 per hour, and one secretary II from $17.03 per hour to $15.43 per hour, both effective June 5.

The reasons for the decreases was due to one longtime employee leaving and two other employees shifting into the positions. Kimberly D. Houser of Lehighton went from secretary II to office supervisor I and Susan A. Joyce, from secretary I to secretary II.

Lukasevich said before his vote that not stepping down to an A step as is normal practice is being subjective rather than objective and added that it was “setting a precedence” for future requests.

Nanovic said that the person has several years experience and that should be factored in.