Editorial: Are Westmoreland County elected officials’ pay raises fair?
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How much should an elected official be paid?
It’s not a simple question. There are a variety of positions filled by election. Some are jobs that require a meeting or two a month — perhaps an overall investment of two to four hours. Depending on the city or borough, a mayor might be a serious leader or someone who cuts ribbons and breaks ties. Some offices are full-time, round-the-clock executives who can spend four years always on duty.
All of those should — and do — have very different paychecks.
Compensation should be high enough to encourage people to go into public service rather than pushing them toward the private sector. It also has to be reflective of the reality that a county or school district or local government isn’t a Fortune 500 company. There are no stockholders who could reap dividends, only taxpayers who will foot the bill.
Fair pay does include the opportunity for growth, including pay raises. But as public servants, elected officials have an obligation to consider the best interest of the taxpayers.
The Westmoreland County commissioners and row officers will be receiving a 3.4% pay increase in 2025. It is the smallest raise they will have received since 2022. The largest was a 7.8% increase in 2023. The total over four years exceeds 20%.
The commissioners didn’t instigate the increases. They are triggered by the consumer price index for Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey. That means the higher the cost of living, the higher the raise. But that naturally means the biggest raises come at the worst time for taxpayers.
Last year, Commissioner Ted Kopas opposed the increase. He proposed a 2.5% ceiling for raises. That was shot down by commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew. Chew called the idea a political stunt — ironic from someone who promised to donate 60% of his salary when he first ran for office but never met that commitment.
The commissioners have the ability to bypass the automatic increases annually, as they have done before. They have the ability to set the cap. They could outright change the law. There are many things they could do.
Doing nothing and just cashing the checks is unfair to the people who work for the county and have to beg or strike for their raises. It’s also unfair to the taxpayers who have no choice in paying up.