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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The Blair County Salary Board voted 4-to-1 Wednesday to follow past practice in setting pay for a newly hired chief deputy coroner, rather than getting the chief deputy job graded and placed on the county salary schedule adopted last year.
Coroner Patty Ross asked the salary board to set the pay for newly hired Chief Deputy Ray Benton at $30,252 annually, based on a flexible work schedule of 40 hours a week.
Ross recently named Benton to replace Chief Deputy Paul Kerns, who retired July 31 and was making an hourly rate equivalent to the $30,252 annual salary, according to county records.
Commissioner Laura Burke proposed starting Benton at a per diem rate -- an amount per shift -- typically paid to deputy coroners, then taking time to get the chief deputy position evaluated for placement on the county's salary schedule in accordance with the pay policy.
"We put a great amount of work into that policy," Burke said after the meeting. "Since its implementation, we have consistently applied it, even when the submitted (pay) requests did not."
Human Resources Director Katherine Swigart said the salary board minutes from Sept. 10, 2020, show a vote in favor of designating the chief deputy coroner position as per diem. Those minutes, as approved by the salary board, provide no explanation as to why.
Swigart explained to the salary board that per diem positions weren't included in the development of the county's salary schedule, so no grading is available for the chief deputy coroner position.
If the job had a grading, then the salary board would be in position to consider a recommended pay range, based on tasks and relevant experience.
Ross told the salary board that her chief deputy needs to be paid a salary because of the level of responsibility associated with the post. When the coroner isn't available, she said, the chief deputy is responsible for the office's operations.
"My chief deputy holds as much power as I do," Ross said.
The coroner also reminded the salary board that based on powers vested with the coroner, she holds the authority to name her chief deputy.
Salary Board Chairman Bruce Erb spoke in favor of getting the chief deputy coroner position graded, but he also supported Ross' motion to start Benton at $30,252 annually.
"I don't see that you can pay him anything but a salary," Erb said.
Commissioner Amy Webster also said that the chief deputy job cannot be restricted.
"It's not an 8-to-4 position," Webster said. "It's a variety of hours."
Ross offered that same argument when asking the salary board to OK Benton's starting salary. Erb, Webster and Controller A.C. Stickel voted along with Ross to make four votes in favor.
Burke cast the dissenting vote.
"I do not question the coroner's right to appoint her deputies," Burke said. "But it is absolutely stunning that the other members of the salary board voted to set the salary of the chief deputy coroner without applying the pay policy."
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.