MAHONING COUNTY PAY INCREASES

MAHONING COUNTY PAY INCREASES

A sampling of key pay increases throughout Mahoning County over the past year.

SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Deputy John A. Antonucci got a 30 percent pay raise from $42,355 to $55,099 when Sheriff Jerry Greene promoted him from deputy to internal affairs supervisor.

He then got a 4.98 percent raise to $57,845 when staff concessions were restored.

In March 2014, Greene promoted Antonucci to commander, raising his pay to $72,000 annually. The internal-affairs position was abolished.

A 64 percent increase went to Kevin M. Myers, whose salary went from $32,906 as a deputy to $53,976 when he was promoted to corrections sergeant.

Most sheriff’s department salaries in 2013 were the same as in 2007, Commissioner David Ditzler said.

“In 2008, they went on concessions and maintained those concessions through 2012,” he said. “A starting deputy sheriff still makes only $12.50 an hour,” he said, believing it to be too low.

SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION

Kathleen M. Vrable-Bryan, administrator of the county’s Soil and Water Conservation District, received a 13.39 percent pay increase from $44,096 to $50,000 a year June 30.

“She was very underpaid,” compared to her counterparts in other similar-sized Ohio SWCDs, said Richard Scarsella, who was chairman of the SWCD board last year. “She has a very unusual skill-set,” Scarsella said, referring to her science, technical, administrative and education background.

SWCD is funded by a combination of state money, county general-fund money, grants and income from fish, tree and birdseed sales.

Its revenues were $207,501 in 2012 and $210,979 last year.

JOB AND FAMILY SERVICES

There were 25 pay increases of more than 10 percent last year in the county’s Job and Family Services department.

One JFS employee, Alecia Poppke, got three pay increases in 2013.

The first was a 4.44 percent step increase from $42,203 to $44,075 due to longevity. This was followed by a 16 percent increase to $51,126, upon her promotion to eligibility referral supervisor.

At that point, she also began paying her full 10 percent employee contribution to PERS.

Poppke then received a 4.11 percent increase to $53,227 after completing her probationary period in her new job, said Robert E. Bush Jr., JFS director.

JFS is funded through a combination of federal and state funds and the county’s general fund.

RECORDER’S OFFICE

A deputy recorder supervisor got a 16 percent raise and four deputy recorders got raises ranging from 14.08 to 19.71 percent. PERS flips and longevity accounted for most changes. Additional workload was also cited for one.

The recorder’s office is taking $383,019 out of the general fund this year, Recorder Noralynn Palermo said.

Last year, her office collected nearly $2.1 million in fees, of which nearly $938,000 went to the general fund, she added.

JUVENILE COURT

Seven promotions fueled raises of 18.15 percent or more for nine staffers, said Magistrate Anthony D’Apolito, court administrator.

Chief Magistrate Richard N. White, who is also the assistant court administrator, got an increase from $42,329 to $75,000 when he went from part-time to full-time status. White has been with the county since September 1989.

“It’s a better use of time for the court to have magistrates here all day,” D’Apolito said.

Jennifer R. Pangio, program administrator, went from $41,200 to $50,000 a year, for a 21.36 percent increase. That raise was based on merit and additional duties she assumed; she also was potentially being lured away by another agency, D’Apolito said.

Those promoted in 2013 included: Robert W. Petrus from group leader to a detention supervisor from $23,201 to $31,285 for a 34.84 percent gain; Rachel L. Wagner from group leader to intake officer from $25,570 to $33,475 for a gain of 30.89 percent; Erin E. Gilmour from group leader to probation officer from $23,897 to $31,000 for a gain of 29.72 percent; Nicholas Pankewicz from assistant supervisor to a detention supervisor from $30,373 to $37,042 for a gain of 21.96 percent; Richard M. Weimer from maintenance worker to maintenance supervisor from $28,840 to $35,000 for a gain of 21.36 percent; Anthonie L. Jackson from group leader to boys’ programming supervisor from $23,898 to $29,000 for a gain of 21.35 percent; and Rachel Shiley from intake worker to intake director from $49,088 to $58,000 for a gain of 18.15 percent.

None of those seven was promoted into newly created positions, D’Apolito said.

Because of its low pay scales, the court has been losing juvenile-detention personnel to Trumbull County, he added.

The juvenile court is funded by a combination of the county’s general fund and state and federal funds.

LEAD HAZARD CONTROL

On April 21, five employees in the office got a 14.33 percent pay raise, which included a PERS flip. They included Phillip O. Puryear, program director, who went from $63,648 to $72,769 in annual salary; and Daniel Martin, assistant director, who went from $52,811 to $60,379.

In the flip, these employees went from paying a half percent to the full 10 percent employee share of PERS.

The office is funded entirely by a federal grant.

SANITARY ENGINEERING

Erica L. Cassesse got a 29.95 percent raise from $46,176 to $60,008 on Jan. 13, when she was promoted from assistant for business and finance to director of finance and business.

In her new position, Cassesse, who joined the county in April 2004, supervises six account clerks and manages the department’s debt, which includes more than 20 loans, according to Bill Coleman, office manager. The department has a $24 million annual budget with about $10 million in additional loans and grants.

A PERS flip increase boosted Cassesse’s pay 3.71 percent to $62,234 on June 2.

Also at sanitary, Nicholas Jordan, field supervisor, got a 10.85 percent raise on Dec. 1 from $65,208 to $72,280 when he completed his 120-day probationary period. Jordan, who has a Class 4 wastewater treatment plant operator’s license, has a salary consistent with that of other Ohio wastewater- treatment plant operators with Class 4 licenses, Coleman said.

A Class 4 license is the highest level of operator’s license issued by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, which licenses plant operators by examination.

Operations of the sanitary engineer’s office are funded entirely by water and sewer service fees.

In sanitary engineering, revenues dropped from $23,250,320 in 2010 to $21,373,047 in 2011, then rose to $22,270,092 in 2012 before falling to $21,482,000 last year.

Source: Mahoning County payroll records