CLEARFIELD – A proposal from the county’s judges to raise the salaries of the non-union management in the Domestic Relations and Probation Departments was discussed at length by the Clearfield County Salary Board Tuesday before being blocked by the county commissioners in the board’s vote.
In September the commissioners hired a new administrator for the Children, Youth & Family Services Department. Their salary was established at $74,000/annually.
The board established the salary of the assistant administrator of CYFS at $53,000/annually.
The salary of the current casework supervisor was also raised to $49,200/annually and is now $47,000/annually for those new to the position.
“The court is pleased … these salaries were set at a level, which will hopefully allow for hiring and retention of administrative and supervisory staff for many years to come,” wrote County Judges Fredric Ammerman and Paul Cherry in their joint proposal.
But, they said, over the past “several” years, the court has also lobbied for salary increases for the administrators and supervisors in the Domestic Relations and Probation Departments.
“The majority of the administrative and supervisory staff in both offices have generally been very long-term employees of the county.
“We indeed have been fortunate to have such well-versed, experienced employees,” and given the significant salary increases approved for CYFS, “it’s time” those in Domestic Relations and Probation also receive “significant” salary increases.
In Domestic Relations, Director Rick Redden currently earns roughly $61,038 annually with 41 years of service.
Deputy Director James Dunsmore earns roughly $53,541 with 22 years of service and Enforcement Supervisor Julee Welker, roughly $48,541, with three decades of service.
April Krause, the department’s intake and establishment supervisor, makes $45,000/annually. She has a year-and-a-half of service.
Ammerman and Cherry noted these are non-union positions and therefore not bound by any union contractual obligations.
With one exception (Krause), these Domestic Relations employees “very clearly” have “far more” experience and time as county employees than their counterparts in CYFS, they wrote.
“A brand-new CYFS casework supervisor starts at only $1,541/year less than, for example, what Julee Welker makes after 30 years of service.
“This is incredibly unfair and causes employees, like Ms. Welker, to feel unvalued and unappreciated.”
Domestic Relations currently operates at half staff and has done so for almost two years, the judges wrote, asking what could be more important than providing support to children.
The office carries the burden of 1,521 cases—the highest of any sixth-class county and “well above” that of CYFS, they continued.
“If a mother comes in … today to seek support for herself and or her children, it will be—on average—four months before she will see any funds.
“She’s left with a choice of staying in potentially what’s a bad or abusive relationship, or leaving and not being able to provide financially for herself and her children for an unacceptable period of time.”
Because of its staffing crisis, Ammerman and Cherry said current employees—especially administrators and supervisors—are carrying an extraordinary burden to keep up and it’s been without additional compensation.
“It’s very stressful and exhausting.”
As each month passes, the county—according to the judges—saves “considerable monies” from salaries and benefits that are not being paid due to staffing vacancies.
They went on to note the board can raise the salaries of administrative and supervisory employees in Domestic Relations at no cost due to available state and federal monies.
But, the pay raises have to be approved by the county first, they said.
Currently state and federal funds pay 66 percent of the salaries for the department, but this percentage can be increased depending upon the staff meeting certain incentives.
In Probation Director Shawn Burkhart earns roughly $57,400 with 27 years of service, which combines his time spent in the military with that working in probation services. He’s worked for the county since December 2017.
Zack Murone, supervisor of the adult section, and Chrissy Davis, director of the juvenile section, earn roughly $50,400 and $56,o47, respectively with a combined 34 years of service.
Derek Dixon, collections supervisor, makes roughly $50,640 with seven years of service to the county.
Ammerman and Cherry likened the “probation situation” to that of the Domestic Relations Department—the administrators and supervisors need significant salary increases that match their experience and years of service.
“They should be on par with the CYFS salaries,” they wrote, citing an October memo from Burkhart, who spoke of the department’s struggle with carrying a heavy caseload amid a staffing shortage.
The court, the judges said, has been using supervision money for the past two years to reimburse the county for the pay increases given to union employees per the last contract.
The county was paid $61,170.21 in 2022 and in 2023, the county will receive $88,660. It’s projected to receive $110,826.72 in 2024 and $131,513.76 in 2025.
This will amount to $392,170.69 over four years, the judges said, adding it’s possible that supervision money may even be available as early as January to help offset their proposed salary increases.
The judges noted the court’s ongoing cooperation with the county’s request to reduce the inmate population at Clearfield County Jail so not to incur additional expenses and to complete facility repairs.
This was done, they said, even though it’s caused more stress and inhibited the functions of the court, Probation and Domestic Relations Departments and the local district magistrates.
The court was again requested more recently to reduce the inmate population to facilitate a lock replacement, and Ammerman and Cherry did indicate the court will continue to cooperate and assist to the best of its ability.
“It’s time the county cooperates with the court,” Ammerman and Cherry wrote, and “take steps to provide higher living wages to non-union administrators/supervisors, [and in turn] reward those who have … faithfully continued to work for the county despite being grossly underpaid.”
The judges then proposed 9 percent pay raises, effective Jan. 1, 2024, for Redden and Dunsmore in Domestic Relations and for Burkhart, Murone, Davis and Dixon in Probation.
In regards to Krause, they requested her salary be raised to $47,000, or the equivalent of a new CYFS casework supervisor.
Ammerman and Cherry, however, saw Welker as a special case that had apparently fallen through the cracks and felt her salary should be raised to $62,068, or the equivalent of the juvenile probation director with a 9 percent raise.
Commissioner Dave Glass said it’s “no secret” the county has a salary problem, and it’s been trying to address it and that work is still ongoing.
Outside of Welker as a “special case” of obvious disparity that the board was unaware of until now, he found it would be best for the county to deal with this in the context of “everyone.”
Glass noted that all salaried non-union employees would receive pay raises at year’s end, but the commissioners are still crunching numbers, and don’t know what that looks like yet and how it will be paid for.
He said if the board dealt with Domestic Relations and Probation now separately, it would put them in a corner with the rest of the employees who would also expect the same treatment.
“Let’s face it. You’re here today because someone else got something, and now you want us to match it.”
While Ammerman admitted that was 100 percent true, he said the commissioners also “opened the door.”
Commissioner John Sobel, board chairman, agreed with Glass, saying he didn’t want the county to have the appearance of giving special treatment to specific employees or groups of employees.
When the county raised CFYS salaries, he said he opposed because he foresaw the contention it would cause between the county’s departments and their employees.
Sobel said the salary problem is further complicated because certain county departments—like Domestic Relations for example—receive state and federal reimbursement and incentive money.
He didn’t want to give a 9 percent pay raise to those employees working in departments with more funding streams when it can’t provide the same for the others, which could potentially make them feel less valued.
“It’s a complicated process” … so “today is not the day.”
When she took office last fall, Commissioner Mary Tatum said she was well aware the county’s salaries were “terrible.”
But, she said it has taken steps to change that, and CYFS was proof.
Additionally she said the county will award pay raises to its salaried non-union employees at year’s end, and she believes in “good faith” these will be very generous for all, and well above the norm.
Tatum—as with her fellow commissioners—did agree that Welker was a special case that should be dealt with apart from the rest.
While Ammerman understood the county’s position, he argued it didn’t take full advantage of the reimbursement and incentive money available to it.
“The court isn’t the same as the other county offices,” he said, and more funds are available for its functions and because more is required of its employees, the proposed raises were “justified.”
“No disrespect to the other county departments, but that’s just the reality of it.”
Following the discussion, Controller Rob Edwards did indicate he felt the board should deal with Welker’s salary matter now.
The board then voted to raise Welker’s salary to $56,047 immediately so that she would be paid the equivalent of the juvenile probation director.
Welker will also see a raise when the county determines the amount it will award to its salaried non-union employees in the coming weeks.
Ammerman did formally motion for Redden, Dunsmore, Burkhart, Davis, Murone and Dixon to receive 9 percent pay raises, effective Jan. 1, 2024, which was seconded by Edwards.
However, it was voted down 3-2 and blocked, with all three county commissioners in opposition.