Editorial: Westmoreland County needs to learn more lessons about pay
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Westmoreland County has realized that employees are valuable.
What was it that drove this home to the commissioners and the salary board — and other departments within the county government?
Was it the critical shortages among essential areas like the jail and Westmoreland Manor nursing home? Was it the challenges in keeping enough people answering 911 calls? Was it the Regional Youth Services Center in Hempfield that shuttered in June because, in part, of staffing shortages?
Or was it the narrowly averted strike that started 2024?
Whatever the reason, commissioners and Controller Jeffrey Balzer, who make up the salary board, have authorized more raises.
Not even three weeks after moving interim warden Steve Pelesky, 49, of Ligonier to the permanent position, at a salary of $80,000, the salary board gave him an $11,000 raise. Commissioner Chairman Sean Kertes called it “righting the ship” after underpaying Pelesky while he served in his interim capacity.
Raises also were given to others, like $10,000 average increases to 911 dispatch supervisors and 21% hikes to hourly telecommunications officers in training. Behavioral health, domestic relations and park police all saw financial boosts.
The moves come after other major moves in recent months, like the contracts that headed off the strikes and new deals with county prosecutors and public defenders. It reflects the county learning a lesson about its shortages.
“According to the county commissioners association, we have one of the lowest paid staffs in Pennsylvania, and retention is a more cost-effective way to ensure we have enough people to work,” Kertes said.
There is intentional action here, as the increases are part of the county’s budget. While it might gall taxpayers to see more pay increases, these shouldn’t cost them more than the already steep tax increase this year.
The county’s employees should come first when it comes to pay increases. They are the front line that gets the necessary jobs done.
That is why the commissioners need to take a hard look at reversing course on making elected officials the ones who get automatic pay increases tied to the Consumer Price Index. That decades-old law has led to commissioners and others getting 17% higher pay since 2022 while the county struggled to fill underpaid positions.
The county is learning. It just needs to learn faster.