Auditor increases pay for 11 workers in office

David Hines said the workers were hired under a lower rate.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- In one of his last official acts as Trumbull County auditor, David Hines has approved higher salaries for 11 nonunion employees in his department.
Hines, who has announced that he will leave office at the end of this week with another year left on his term, says the increases should not be characterized as a "pay raise."
He said the higher amounts, which will go into effect with the last pay of the year, put the employees in a pay classification consistent with recommendations made in a countywide study in 1995 that his office did not make use of.
"They're still below the standard," Hines said. "We held them back six to seven years."
Adrian Biviano, chief deputy auditor, said, "Nobody else in the county" denied their employees the increased money at the time of the study other than the auditor's office.
Hines said nine of the 11 people on the list were hired within the last six to seven years and were told they were being hired at a below-standard rate but would be "brought up" when the county could afford it.
Still not caught up
Hines said the increases still don't bring the nine new employees up to the pay rate of the people they replaced. Most are still making at least a dollar an hour less than their predecessors, records from the auditor's office indicate.
The 11 employees getting higher salaries are:
U Linda Sypert, longtime information services director, from classification 14 to 15, hourly wage from $34.73 to $37.30.
U Barbara Hill, going from classification 4 to 6, hourly wage from $12.58 to $14.22.
U Cathy Huggins, from classification 6 to 7, hourly wage from $14.63 to $15.83.
U Cathy Hollenbank, from classification 3 to 6, hourly wage from $10.60 to $13.07.
U Janet Opritza-Davis, from classification 8 to 9, hourly wage from $18 to $19.32.
U Penni Buydos, from classification 3 to 7, hourly wage from $10.61 to $14.13.
U Mary Robinson, from classification 3 to 4, hourly wage from $10.90 to $11.89.
U Lucy Perfetti, from classification 4 to 7, hourly wage from $11.56 to $14.13.
U Janice Kuszmaul, from class 0 to 7, hourly wage from $17.62 to $19.13.
U Lauri Adgate, from classification 6 to 7, hourly wage from $14.63 to $15.83
U Mike Moy, from classification 6 to 7, hourly wage from $12.70 to $13.73.