Carbon County’s employees will see a 3% raise in 2021, but changes to pay scales and how raises are determined may be coming in the future.

On Monday, during the annual salary board meeting, the board, as well as row officers, voted 4-1 for 3% raises for all positions.

On each motion for the departments’ request for raises, Commissioner Chris Lukasevich cast the sole no vote after his amended motion to “modify the positions and salaries to reflect an hourly increase of 0.8% in line with the Oct. 12, 2020, and most current bimonthly report for the CPIU of Philly, Camden and Wilmington in lieu of the 3% increase” failed each time.

Prior to the votes, Lukasevich explained his decision on the votes.

“I’m not a believer of trophies for participation, nor am I a believer of pay raises for presence and not performance but rather accommodation of presence and performance,” he said. “Given the current lack of clarity in the financial situation in the coming year, I view a proposed 3% pay raise across the board as excessive.”

He said that the 3% increase across the board will equate to approximately $280,000 for nonunion employees when raises, Social Security, Medicare, FICA and contributions to the retirement fund on their behalf was totaled together.

“We do have to break the vicious cycle of recurring 3% pay increases,” Lukasevich continued, adding that he felt raises should be based on the annual CPIU, which this year, would have equated to less than a 1% raise, but last year, would have been a 2.8% raise.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said that he agreed with some of the aspects Lukasevich expressed, noting that Carbon is surrounded by larger counties that can pay better, and this has been the reason for some frequent turnovers in various departments over the years.

He said that the county must continue to look at starting salaries, which have now all been increased to be above $11 an hour.

“When you have a starting salary as such, it is difficult to get good working people,” Nothstein said, adding that he was willing to look at all pay grade levels to better group things together “so everyone is on the same playing field.

“I am more than willing to start looking at those positions that we need to address to keep employees,” he said.

Commissioner Rocky Ahner said that he doesn’t like percentage raises “because a person who gets a raise of $1.20 vs. someone down on the table who gets 63 cents, they have to buy the same loaf of bread and the same gallon of milk that everyone else does.

“I think that is something we have to really work on throughout the year to try and straighten out,” he said, suggesting that maybe a flat rate pay increase could be the answer.

President Judge Roger Nanovic, who had made the first motion to spark the discussion, said that there hasn’t been a recent study completed to show what fair wages should be with the surrounding counties.

“There have been disparities that have grown and gotten worse,” he said, adding that he thinks a new study would benefit everyone moving forward.

Nothstein said the last study was completed in 1999.

Nanovic then advocated for his court employees, saying that he believes a 3% raise is what is needed “after going through a very difficult year.

“All employees have sacrificed, they have done their jobs and I think a 3% increase is appropriate,” he said.