NEW CASTLE County officials to review vacant jobs

The governor will appoint a new county coroner.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Lawrence County officials are taking a look at some of the 23 jobs being left vacant by those taking the county's early retirement incentive this year.
"We are actively recruiting for some of the positions. Some we might combine or reclassify and some we might eliminate altogether," said Susan Quimby, director of human resources for the county.
Quimby said county officials should know the fate of most of the positions when they introduce the 2002 county budget in December. Among those retiring are Coroner J. Russell Noga Sr., Brenda Brown, director of county Children and Youth Services, and Richard Peterson, assistant director of maintenance for the county.
Who was eligible: County employees with at least 30 years of service or those age 55 with at least 10 years of service were eligible for the retirement incentive, which offered an extra 30 percent credit to their years of service, resulting in higher monthly pension checks.
Four jail employees, 10 employees of the county-owned nursing home, three maintenance workers, a courts employee, one person from the county controller's office and the secretary for the county jury commission also took the retirement package, according to the county controller's office, which accepted the resignations.
Quimby said three people have already left their jobs and the others will be leaving before Dec. 31.
The county coroner's post will be filled by the chief deputy coroner until the governor appoints a new coroner, said Charleen Micco, chief county clerk and administrator.
Noga could not be reached to comment. His term as coroner ends in January 2004.
County commissioners passed the retirement incentive in August. They said it was an effort to reward some longtime employees and create jobs for the unemployed.