Somerset County Commissioners set new minimum wage for county employees

Judy D.J. Ellich, The Daily American
·2 min read

SOMERSET — The Somerset County Salary Board, consisting of commissioners and treasurer, essentially set a minimum wage Tuesday for county workers of $12.50 per hour.

Pennsylvania and the federal government's minimum wage for 2024 is $7.25 an hour.

The Somerset County Office Building houses the commissioners.
The Somerset County Office Building houses the commissioners.

The board set the rate of pay for all nonunion positions at $12.50 an hour. Effective April 27, the county will increase current non-union employees making below $12.50 an hour to the new rate, according to commissioners.

Commissioner Irvin Kimmel Jr. said the number of nonunion employees making below the newly set minimum amount is not many. He negotiated with the unions and spent time with the fiscal department crunching numbers to come up with the new county workers' wages.

"This essentially establishes a minimum wage for the county now across the board" with both the county's union and nonunion members wages decided, said Commissioner Pamela Tokar-Ickes.

The increases in county workers' pay has been a consideration in the budget and "we will be fine," said Commissioner Brian Fochtman.

What: Amended budget including increase in taxes approved by county commissioners

During the commissioners' meeting, before the salary board met, the board voted to promote Madelyn Werner to director of finance at a salary of $60,000, which was approved by the salary board.

"She was the assistant already so it makes sense," Kimmel said.

"She knows the job, she knows the county," Fochtman said.

Werner has been in the county's fiscal department for three years.

"Very bright, very ambitious, she has good work ethics. She'll do good," Kimmel said.

Werner is a product of the county's "succession planning."

According to Tokar-Ickes, "One of the important things that we are trying to do is to always have people coming up through the ranks, particularly with our administrative staff that we can move into those positions."

The individuals train for those positions, trained by the person doing the job, she said.

"Madelyn was hired with the intention of training for the fiscal director position. We just didn't think it would be this quickly. But, opportunity knocked and we are thankful that Madelyn is there," Tokar-Ickes said.

Why: Commissioners accept another resignation, hire chief clerk

Other personnel items unanimously decided by the salary board Tuesday:

  • Created a clerk of courts temporary part-time clerk position for 15 to 22.5 hours per week at 12.50 per hour starting May 1;

  • Set 911 Coordinator and 911 Operations Manager starting salaries to $50,000 a year, which was about $42,000 a year, and increased Craig Hollis-Nicholson's salary at 911 to $50,000;

  • Set starting salary for Children Youth Services (CYS) director at $65,000 to $70,000;

  • Created position of CYS caseworker intern at 12.50 per hour;

  • Set starting salary for Assistant Director of Finance $42,000 to $47,000;

  • Reclassify part-time Veterans Affairs Assistant Director to full-time at $28,000 annually.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Commissioners set new minimum wage for Somerset County employees