CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield County Commissioners previously approved the appointment of F. Cortez “Chip” Bell III as first assistant district attorney but without setting his salary.
On Tuesday, the county’s Salary Board revisited the pending request from District Attorney Ryan Sayers to raise the starting salary for the position.
In April Sayers submitted a request asking the board to raise the starting salary of the first assistant district attorney to $65,000. But, it failed to gain approval.
On Tuesday, it was revisited with Sayers requesting the starting salary be raised to $64,000/year, effective May 1.
Bell’s salary was approved by a 3-1 board vote, with Commissioner John A. Sobel in opposition, adding he didn’t think the first assistant district attorney should make more than the assistant public defender.
In January, he noted that the current assistant public defender was previously a first assistant district attorney for the county and the attorneys often go back and forth between the two offices.
The first assistant district attorney position was previously held by Leanne Nedza, who left the DA’s office Dec. 29 to accept a position as a lecturer of criminal justice at Penn State DuBois.
Previous to that, the board had voted to set Nedza’s salary at $64,000.
But upon her resignation, Sayers went to the board in January, explaining how the starting salary would revert back to the old figure of $55,000 from four years ago.
Sayers said that figure would be less than the assistant public defender and about what other staff members make in his office, and he felt starting at $60,000/annually would be more appropriate for the position.
So, as Sobel gave his opposition Tuesday, he also reminded the board of this, saying it had just raised the starting salary of the first assistant district attorney.
Commissioner Dave Glass said he believed the reason for the requested salary increase was mainly due to Bell’s “extensive” experience, and he was comfortable with its approval.
Bell—who previously served as the district court administrator for over a decade—was officially sworn into office Tuesday afternoon.
He has also been an assistant public defender, the chief public defender, an assistant district attorney and the first assistant district attorney.
Bell joins Sayers’ staff of attorneys, which include Tami Fees, deputy district attorney, and Brittany N. McCracken, assistant district attorney.
In other business, the board:
- approved a request from the commissioners to increase the existing salaries of casework supervisors by $5,850/year, effective April 29. Sobel opposed.
- approved a request from the commissioners to set the starting salary for a casework supervisor at $53,000/year. Sobel opposed.
- approved a request from the commissioners to increase the salary of the clerical supervisor/CYFS by $2,500, effective April 29. Sobel opposed.
- approved a request from the commissioners to create two part-time intern positions at CYFS at a pay rate of $12/hour. Positions are not to exceed 975 hours in an anniversary year.
- approved a request from the commissioners to set the new starting salary of assistant IT director at $38,000/year.
- approved a request from the commissioners to create a temporary position of assistant IT director at $38,000/year, effective May 1. The position will collapse May 31.
- approved the minutes of the April 9 meeting as presented.