LAWRENCE COUNTY Officials get permission to hire another assistant district attorney

The MHMR director wants a $10,000 raise.
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Another assistant district attorney is expected to be added in Lawrence County.
District Attorney Matthew Mangino said he got permission from federal officials to use a $250,000 Project Safe Neighborhoods grant from the U.S. Department of Justice for the $42,500-per-year position.
Mangino had originally secured the grant with the intention of making his position full time. County commissioners did not support that change.
Mangino said he has been interviewing attorneys for the job. The grant will pay the salary and benefits. It is also expected to fund new programs in his office.
The county salary board will vote on the position next week.
Commissioner Ed Fosnaught asked Mangino to eliminate one of the county-funded assistant district attorney positions and replace it with this grant-funded one.
Mangino said that would violate federal law. He said a county can't use federal grants for existing positions.
Fosnaught said he is concerned that the public defender's office will now want the county to add another position.
Director's raise
In other business, county salary board members are considering a $10,000 raise for the county mental health, mental retardation office director.
John Klenotic would receive a $5,000 raise beginning Tuesday and another $5,000 raise Jan. 1.
Commissioner Brian Burick said the salary increase would be reimbursable by the state.
He noted that Klenotic is the lowest paid MHMR director in the region. He makes $49,000 a year.
Burick said Klenotic's counterpart in Beaver County makes $71,551 a year, and the MHMR director in Butler County earns $69,344 a year.
Commissioner Roger DeCarbo said he would support the raise because it is covered by the state.
Disagreement
Commissioner Ed Fosnaught disagreed, saying the raise should be considered at the annual salary board meeting. That meeting has not been set yet but is normally held in December. Fosnaught said that there are other county employees who earn less than counterparts in nearby counties and also deserve raises.
"To just pick one and recommend a $10,000 raise is way out of line," Fosnaught said.
Burick said Klenotic is the only employee who has sent a formal request for a raise.
"When we receive a request for others, we will consider it," he said.
Controller Mary Ann Reiter did not say how she intends to vote on the matter at Tuesday's county salary board meeting.