CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield County Commissioners voted to approve a 2 percent salary increase for elected officials in eight offices at a special meeting Tuesday night. The salary increase will be effective in 2014 and remain so through 2015.
The salary increase applies to all elected officials in the offices of the commissioners, controllers, sheriff’s, jury commissioners, treasure’s, register and recorder’s, coroners and the prothonotary/clerk of courts. The district attorney, the judges and district magistrates have their salaries set by the state.
“It shouldn’t be any more than 2 percent. We have asked the county employees to hold the line. It would be unfair for elected officials to get a higher raise,” said Commissioner Joan Robinson-McMillen prior to any official action by the board.
She pointed out that all non-union employees received a 2 percent raise in the preliminary county budget for next year, which was presented at a work shop meeting Tuesday morning. She said the elected officials need to accept the same raise and set an example for everyone.
Commissioner Chairman John A. Sobel said the previous board set the salaries in January 2006. Currently, elected officials are scheduled to receive a 3 percent salary increase each year through 2013, he said.
Robinson-McMillen said she would not be accepting her raise next year and asking the controller’s office to maintain her current salary. Sobel said he intended to do the same.
Commissioner Mark McCracken said a motion wouldn’t be needed to take action, as it was their personal decision to do so. He said the salaries have been set for them, and he was unsure of the procedure for moving forward.
“Because the salaries have been set and are already in the budget, you may have to (receive the raise) and issue a check back to the county,” he said.
Both Sobel and Robinson-McMillen said they would contact the controller’s office and look into it further.
