No raises for Schuylkill officials

Whoever they are, they won’t be getting a raise in Schuylkill County.

The method used for setting salaries for county commissioners has a safeguard — which is a statewide law — a present board can’t give themselves a raise.

Instead, the incumbent board sets the salaries for the incoming board. That action is taken every four years. County commissioners are required to set row office salaries before their four-year terms end.

The Schuylkill County Commissioners met Nov. 26 to fix the salaries of county officers for 2020 through 2023. The present board, Chairman George Halcovage, Frank Staudenmeier and Gary Hess, voted that the future board will not receive raises. The commissioners provided the minutes from the November meeting after their meeting this week.

None of the elected county officers will receive a raise. That includes the sheriff, the register of wills/clerk of orphans’ court, clerk of courts, prothonotary, recorder of deeds, coroner, treasurer and county controller.

Present salaries are: Commissioners’ chairman, $63,956; commissioners, $61,292; controller $60,416; treasurer, $57,295; coroner $45,303; recorder of deeds, $57,295; prothonotary, $57,295; clerk of courts, $57,295; register of wills, $62,626; and sheriff, $57,295.

During their meeting, the commissioners approved the following personnel changes and salaries:

• Connor Nettles, Branch Township, promoted to telecommunicator 1, 911/Communications, at a salary of $15.51 per hour.

• Theresa Zubris, New Philadelphia, transfer from clerk typist to office support/Human Resources, at a salary of $15.42 per hour.

• Jeremy Sborz, Pottsville, appointed to Deputy Sheriff, Sheriff’s Office, at a salary of $18.50 per hour.

• Albert Gricoski, Butler Township, appointed to First Deputy, Prothonotary, $34,435 per year.

• Kaitlin Rizzardi, Tremont, appointed to secretary II, court administration, at a salary of $14.23 per hour.

• April Good, Orwigsburg, appointed to work as an unpaid intern in adult probation.