LAWRENCE COUNTY Former commissioner files lawsuit against three on board

The county asked that the lawsuit be dismissed because county commissioners do not set salaries.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A district justice will decide in the next five days how much money former county commissioner Thomas Fee should be paid for serving on the Lawrence County Election Board.
Fee filed a lawsuit against the three county commissioners after the salary board refused to pay him nearly $1,000 for 61 hours of work and mileage he accrued working for the election board.
Fee served on the election board last year when county commissioners were excused from it because of a county government study question on the ballot. Luann Parkonen and Philip Boudewyns were also appointed to the board but have not asked to be paid.
Fee said President Judge Ralph Pratt told him he would be paid $15 an hour plus mileage. The county has offered to pay Fee minimum wage for his service, which amounts to about $300, but Fee has refused.
Request for dismissal
County Solicitor John Hodge asked the judge to drop the lawsuit because it is directed at the wrong entity. Hodge said the salary board, which consists of the commissioners, the county controller and the county row officer affected by the action, controls how salaries are set, not the county commissioners.
Fee said he directed the lawsuit at the commissioners because they hold the majority of seats on the salary board.
Hodge also noted that the salary board, including Judge Pratt, voted last month to set compensation for election board members at $5.15 an hour for those who ask to be paid. Hodge also asked the judge to dismiss Fee's claim for mileage reimbursement because county employees do not receive mileage for driving to the county courthouse.
Fee testified the mileage was from his home to the courthouse for election board meetings.
Fee's attorney, his daughter, Kathleen Fee-Baird, said her client is only asking for what he was promised by Judge Pratt.
"Someone [on salary board] said he should volunteer his time or be paid $50. When this came up in the paper, he was greatly offended," Fee-Baird said. "It was his understanding that he would be paid $15."
Fee said during his testimony that he believed Pratt was speaking for the salary board when he told him the hourly rate.
"Whatever happened to the day when a man could shake hands with another man and take his word as law? I'm a man of honor, and Judge Pratt is a man of honor," Fee said.
A written ruling will be mailed. Both sides have the right to appeal.