An agreement Wednesday by the Schuylkill County Salary Board to hire a sheriff's office employee set off a series of tense moments.

The board, composed of the three commissioners, Controller Christy D. Joy, and Sheriff Joseph Groody, unanimously created the position of central booking processing specialist coordinator after eliminating the job of central booking processing specialist, effective Feb. 24.Joseph Smerko of Minersville was transferred into the $21.13 an hour job from his post as a lieutenant at the county jail.At a Jan. 6 Salary Board meeting, the board had set the salary for Smerko as a per diem central booking processing specialist at $15 per hour, effective immediately. The commissioners and Joy voted yes.Before any of the votes were taken above, Joy asked Human Resources Director Martina Chwastiak how the rate had been determined.She said it was based on what the previous employee was receiving, and that it was not under a contract. Joy asked if he could put that in the form of a motion to set the salary for the position, and the board had no problem with voting on setting the salary.On Wednesday, Joy questioned a Jan. 13 meeting between the commissioners and Groody concerning the job, asking if it had been an executive session.County assistant solicitor Christopher W. Hobbs said it had been for "informational purposes.""An informational meeting does not constitute an executive session at all," he said."So, no, we did not (hold an executive session)," Commissioners' Chairman George F. Halcovage Jr. said."OK, very good," Joy replied.Halcovage said commissioners also had discussed the position with Chwastiak.The board then handled the elimination and creation of central booking jobs. All members approved the changes.Under new business, Joy made a request to raise First Deputy Controller Ron Zimmerman's salary to $43,950, an $886 increase.Commissioner Frank Staudenmeier said to Halcovage that the board needed to consider the matter first, since it had not been on the agenda. Halcovage agreed. County administrator Mark Scarbinsky also agreed, saying deliberations were needed, including to make sure the amount was in the controller's budget.Halcovage said the matter would be discussed at the next Salary Board meeting.At that, Clerk of Courts Maria Casey asked that her first deputy, Paul Steffanic, also be given the same salary that Joy had asked for Zimmerman."He's a man who handles millions of dollars on an annual basis," she said.Casey said the central booking job, which entails fingerprinting, "at $43,900, is important, I likewise would state that a man who handles millions of dollars does reconciliations, does checks to various state agencies including the Department of Revenue, should likewise be accorded that same salary."When you compare the duties of a person who processes fingerprinting as opposed to a first deputy who handles millions of dollars on an annual basis … he's entitled to the same compensation.""I would request an executive session so we can look at that. I would say that any first deputy in this courthouse who performs similar duties should likewise receive consistent compensation," she said.Halcovage thanked her, but did not say whether the board would consider her request.In other matters, the board hired Jeffrey Moyer of Pottsville and Cory Sabol of Mahanoy City as corrections officers at $18.58 per hour each, effective Feb. 1, and Dakotah Donmoyer of Tower City as a maintenance worker at the jail at $15.16 per hour.