The usually routine approval of a local law increasing the salaries for appointed Schoharie County officers created some controversy at the county board meeting Friday.
The raises of 1.5 percent for the board clerk, director of real property, the county attorney, the personnel officer, the commissioner of public works and the commissioner of social services had been approved in the 2010 budget but had to be adopted through a local law Friday. The local law is needed since the raises come during the terms of the appointments for the positions.
The pay raise would have matched the increase for other non-union employees at the county, most of whom are department heads.
After a public hearing Friday morning at which no one spoke, supervisors unexpectedly defeated the local law.
A motion was then made to remove the 1.5 percent increase from all non-union employees but several supervisors fought against the measure.
Marie Campbell of Broome said the raises have already been debated and approved.
“It’s not the way to do business,” she said.
Dennis Richards of Middleburgh said the board has to be consistent but he was not sure the board was “doing the right thing” and said the board should vote again on the local law later in the meeting.
Ms. Campbell added, “I don’t think it’s normally correct to say the budget’s passed and you’re getting a raise and come back and say you’re not getting a raise.”
After a break for lunch and an executive session, supervisors, in a split vote, approved the local law approving the raises. No action was taken on the motion to take away the raises for the other non-union employees.
Mike Brandow of Conesville, Bill Goblet of Wright, Bob Mann of Blenheim and Phil Skowfoe of Fulton voted against the local law.
Board Chairman Earl VanWormer noted that union employees are getting a raise of about three percent and at first there were no raises in the budget for non-union employees.