Despite raise in pay, controversy goes on

Damon still has a lawsuit pending against the auditors.
By MARY GRZEBIENIAK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Union Township auditors have reversed themselves, agreeing unanimously to pay Supervisor Clair Damon $10 per hour for his township roadmaster duties, not $5.15 as they decided in January.
The township auditors are chaired by former supervisor Steve Galizia. Other members are John DeRobertis and Richard Pauline. Pauline did not attend the meeting where Damon's wage was set at $5.15.
Damon's lawyer, Gabriel Cilli, who is also township solicitor, was not satisfied with the action, saying it did not go far enough for him to agree to drop the complaint he filed in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court on Damon's behalf.
Cilli has filed a mandamus action asking the auditors be ordered to follow the law. He earlier stated this means they have to set a comparable wage and refrain from interfering with Damon's hours and duties, which are supposed to be set by township supervisors.
Additional demands
In addition to raising Damon's hourly wage to at least $10, Cilli also wanted auditors to give Damon paid holidays and five sick days as well as reimbursement for Damon's court filing costs and sheriff's service, which total $147.50.
Cilli had offered, before Thursday's meeting, to withdraw the mandamus action if these conditions were met. Cilli said Damon should get the paid holidays and sick days because even at $10 an hour his wage is less than the average $17 per hour for roadmasters in the county and that no other roadmaster receives $10.
He added that the five sick days Damon is requesting is half the number the road crew gets.
No action
The auditors, however, took no action on anything but wages. Galizia commented in making the motion to raise Damon's wages that the increase will be retroactive to the Jan. 31 passage of the revised 2006 budget -- not to the Jan. 3 roadmaster appointment as Damon had requested.
He added the wages were being raised only because the tax increase passed with the revised budget made extra money available.
Cilli said, however, that auditors only have the authority to set a fair wage and that the budget has nothing to do with it. Galizia at first refused to allow public comment, citing Damon's pending litigation. He allowed Cilli to speak only after Cilli told him he was violating the state's Sunshine Law.
Several other residents also spoke. One woman asked why township officials "can't just get along and quit all this stupid feuding over what happened before."
She was referring to long-standing animosity between Galizia and Damon and their supporters, which has resulted in much litigation. Damon previously had held a supervisor seat and in November was returned to the board after defeating Galizia for the position. Galizia was paid $10 per hour when he shared the roadmaster position with Supervisor Pat Angiolelli.