In the last Exec race, the only Republican who ran for Exec was a personal trainer. Many argued that the low salary ($85,000) paid to someone who manages a $500 million operation is an impediment to top tier candidates. Northampton County Council is finally poised to give itself, the Executive and the Controller an overdue pay increase. At its November 18 meeting, an ordinance summarized as "Salaries for Elected Officials" was introduced, with a vote set for December 2. It will raise the salaries of elected officials as follows: Council members will receive on annual salary of $10,000 (up from $9,500), effective January 1, 2024; the Executive will get $100,000 a year (up from $85,000), effective January 1, 2026; and the Controller will receive $80,000 a year (up from $75,000), effective January 1, 2024.
For County Council and the Executive, this would be its first wage increase since 2010.
The Northampton County Home Rule Charter prevents Council from giving themselves raises. They can set salaries for the next term of an elected official, but not the current one. Here's what it says.
"The County Council shall have the power by ordinance to set the salary of each elected official. No ordinance shall increase or decrease the salary of an elected official during his term of office. No ordinance which increases or decreases the salary of an elected official shall take effect less than one (1) year after its date of enactment."
Arguably, they could give themselves a raise on December 2, to take effect next year. But that would look sneaky.
When Lehigh and Northampton County adopted Home Rule Charters in 1978, they set initial salaries for their execs and legislators. The full-time county execs were paid $30,000 (Lehigh) and $35,000 (Northampton) while part-time legislators were paid $2,500 (Lehigh) and $4,000 (Northampton).
If these 1978 salaries were adjusted just for cost of living, our local county officials would be bringing home a lot more bacon today. Northampton County Exec McClure would be paid $154,889.84. Northampton County Council members would receive $17,701.70 salaries instead of the current $9,500.
Local leaders may tell you they're here to serve, but a glance at their campaign expense reports makes you wonder just who is the master. Let's face it. Our current salary structure is designed to attract political hacks looking to advance themselves, or zillionaires who've lost touch with the common man. I've heard many very qualified private businessmen, state legislators, and others simply state they could not afford to live on the meager wages paid to local elected officials.
It's simple. If you want good people, you have to pay them. It makes no difference whether it is a CNA or a County Exec,
The Ordinance, as drafted, sets salaries that are simply too low. This is out of fear of the political backlash that will no doubt ensue. But if acting in the best interests of the County, the salary should be adjusted. The Executive should be paid at least as much as one of the nine judges - $186,000 per year. Council members should be compensated at $17,701.70. Moreover, the salary should be tied to the CPI index so that this issue never has to be visited again.
37 comments:
Money is no guarantee of competence. You need only look at Washington and Harrisburg to see the self-serving bullshot on that message. People want to be in Harrisburg and Washington to get great pay and benefits for life while doing next to nothing. They then sit there for years protecting each other. Local office cannot become that.
Automatic pay increases are BS as well. Harrisburg did that some years back. You want a raise vote for it publicly.
Employees get hosed and now local officials want to be paid like their state and federal people.
Payraises for elected officials are extremely unpopular. I went thru the discussion in 2009, when raises were first considered that. Prior to that, they had gone 18 years without a raise. In fact, the proposed increase is woefully low. I can be highly critical of them, but strongly believe that they need to be paid well. We pay our Exec $85,000 to manage a half billion operation. What business pays a CEO $85,000 for running that kind of operation?
In the most recent election cycle, Rs were unable to attract a quality candidate to run against McClure. Many of them complained the salary is too low. I know. I spoke to a few of those who ruled out a run. So they were left with a T-shirt selling huckster who probably dragged down a few Council candidates.
McClure won't talk about this, but had to take a significant paycut to become Exec. He was willing to do so because he has always had a passion for county government and is even hinting at a third term. But that is the exception, not the rule.
We have nine judges and a DA making close to $200k while our Exec, the top county official is paid $85,000. That's less than most of his cabinet.
The way we pay them is designed to attract two types of candidates: (1) political hacks who count on unions or developers or both to fund their campaigns, and are looking for higher offices; and (2) people who are already independently wealthy and may have no understanding what it's like to live paycheck to paycheck.
For a very low salary, these officials are and should be under a microscope for four years. Their personal lives become an open book. I feel no compunction about revealing most (not all) of the dirty underwear. They should at least be paid well.
At the same time, County Council should finally insist on a pay study across the board.
NO WAY should McClueless get what a judge gets. His ego is way beyond a judge's. You want to talk about getting qualified, good employees, the salaries of the employees have ALWAYS been too low.
Notice he did this AFTER he was ELECTED again and is giving his buddy one too. He doesn't run the County. His second in command walks around and acts like he does. Employees hate him and so do taxpayers. Can't wait until he is gone! He would have been this time if the Rs had a competent person.
@ 6:41am
Ok Lynch they hate him so much he beat you by 10,000 votes
Your view is ridiculous, of course. Let's review for those who've likely never recruited, hired, trained, and developed - and are sadly lacking in basic economic concepts:
1) Are the positions being filled at current compensation?
a) No - salary review may be needed
b) Yes - no action is necessary
2) Does higher compensation yield better results from elected officials?
a) Yes - salary review may be needed
b) No - no action is necessary
Answer Key:
1) b
2) b
Isn't that interesting. This Council will give themselves nice pay raises (long overdue) but they won't do a pay study for their employees (long overdue). Think about This for a moment. Every Administration comes into office looking for ways to cut costs. Where is the most expensive line item in the budget. It's salaries. Soooo what do these elected officials do? They cut salaries and benefits. But how can they do this? They create a pay scale with 20 steps so a career service employee never gets to the top of their scale. They make their employees pay a percentage for their medical benefits which they never had to do when originally hired. They raise the co-pays for doctors' visits (at one time we paid nothing and now we pay $25.00), they raise the co-pays for prescriptions, all of which decreases the hourly rate of an individual's original salary. They are eating away at our hourly rate every time they tack on these hidden taxes on our wages. Medical benefits are part of our wages and every time the administration alters the benefit package it is a cut on our wages. The last pay study was about thirty years ago. We should feel sorry for our under paid Council and Executive but screw the hourly workers. I agree with you that the CPI should be tied into the wage increase for elected officials, however, let's include the underpaid career service employee in that scheme.
It appears by the comments your readers, can't read.
Lynch should have won --Buyers remorse again
Sour grapes
“It appears by the comments your readers, can't read.”
Well, the writer is pretty bad
Since when is "payraise" a word?
I think the salaries and benefit package for the Human Services workers can be a good deal.
It is a perfect job for a two-income family. The parent working in the job has very liberal paid time off benefits that allows intermittent use of time off without long lead time to get time off. This helps with the various, quickly changing needs of children. Trade-offs exist in all jobs and these jobs offer a lot to some families. Teaching can also offer that to a family if one parent is a teacher. That gives the teaching parent most of the same days off as their kids. A single parent working in some of the jobs would have difficulty.
The optics of this pay raise for those at the top of the political pyramid..is shameless self enrichment! I will agree only that the Executive salary is in need of an upgrade but that's it. County employee's need the raises especially the grunts at the bottom of the food chain. Council should be admonished if they vote themselves any raise for their time spent on county business. Raise taxes and pay the workers a living wage and not just benefits packages that do not put food on the table or pay the bills.
Well at least you got something right...Lamont is a political hack just looking for power . And you can tell by the way he treats the county employees that he has NO idea what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck like most county employees. It is a earlier Christmas miracle. You got something right..
“Payraise” - This is not France, where word usage must be sanctioned. It is clear everyone understood the word and it is more efficient to eliminate the space.
Per the PA Constitution, elected officials cannot receive a pay raise unless they run for reelection, in which case it would not be effective until the start of their next term:
Article III, § 27. Changes in term of office or salary prohibited.
No law shall extend the term of any public officer, or increase or diminish his salary or emoluments, after his election or appointment.
This would have only worked if the legislation was passed prior to the November 2 election.
Hey Bernie,
What kind of benefits do they receive for their term?
1:03 I believe you are correct and having experienced such an issue as an elected official..the waiting time was observed for the raise to take effect.
The Managers throughout the County, especially HS where most do little or nothing as well as abuse their benefits, are grossly overpaid and the line workers who do the work that's delegated to them by their managers, as well as their own ever increasing job description duties, are grossly underpaid! That's how it's always been for years and years. The public doesn't see what goes on inside the walls.
To the supposed college professor who says there's such a thing as "proper and standard English", let me make the following observations: First, you are incorrect. There is no American Academy that recognizes or refuses to recognize words. There is no Academie American, as there is in France. So there is no such thing as "proper and standard" usage. Second,there is such a thing as redundancy. Look it up.Use the OED if you wish. Third, the purpose of language is to communicate. As I've already explained once, no one complained that he or she failed to understand what I meant by the word "payraise." Additionally, it eliminates the use of a space. Finally, you are OT. I appreciate being corrected on obvious errors, but not horseshit that appears to be motivated by animus towards me, not any respect for proper English.
"What kind of benefits do they receive for their term?"
As P-T employees, County Council members receive no benefits, but are permitted to participate in the pension fund. The Exec gets full benefits. I believe the Controller does as well.
1:03, This is why the starting dates of these proposed raises will take place years from now.
"They make their employees pay a percentage for their medical benefits which they never had to do when originally hired. They raise the co-pays for doctors' visits (at one time we paid nothing and now we pay $25.00), they raise the co-pays for prescriptions, all of which decreases the hourly rate of an individual's original salary. "
McClure has steadfastly refused to make employees pay more for medical benefits.
IF all their other political perks are taken away such as the fundraising crap that goes on , and the other financial benefits they make from being in office then a pay raise may be in order. The hardest part about this is at the lower levels the perks are smaller, fewer and farther between because they actually are less in the grifter mode. As they elevate their grifts and thievery grow exponentially. I wish there was a way to actually monitor the financial benefits any and all politicians garner from their campaign through the time out of office. Until that is done the scum will skim while those that actually do try will be condemned to be groups in the politician shit pile. IT really sucks the most for those that try to stay out of the BS and do do it for the right reasons.
Bethlehem seems to like to increase salary for an individual at the cost of the almighty tax payer even though the BA admitted that their 'payraise' can be frozen just like teachers, which he and she know about.
Say what???
Your statement "McClure has steadfastly refused to make employees pay more for medical benefits" is HOGWASH. My cost of doctor's visit (copay) has increased and so have my prescription costs (copay). Same with my dental visits while my salary doesn't even keep pace with inflation.
My understanding is that McClure has resisted all increases in medical benefits,. I will check
"McClure won't talk about this, but had to take a significant paycut to become Exec. He was willing to do so because he has always had a passion for county government and is even hinting at a third term. But that is the exception, not the rule."
Oh please, he says this all the time. He loves to brag and drop quips about how he gave up so much to be our County Executive. So, who asked him? Who made him do it? No one. The big unions and lawyers that funded his over a quarter of a million-dollar campaign. The vendor principals that get juicy fat contracts. It's been said you will never write about that. So, who owns him now?
You love this guy; you have made that clear. He is no better than most of the county executives. In many ways he is worse. he is arrogant and stubborn. He has a short fuse and believes in retribution due to his temper. It is his way or the highway. Another thing he has told people including some council members. Stop glorifying this pol.
If he feels he is underpaid he wouldn't have run and if he goes for a third term that is his ego, no one except his sycophants want him to. Hopefully a Democratic female will wipe up his ass in a primary.
He has shown a passion for people kissing his ass. He sees th perks of his elected office at his level and is taking advantage of it fully.
12:11 am
It was Brown who screwed you on your benefits, and you voted for him for county council
Congratulations on your ignorance paying off for your situation
In the real world of net taxpayers, performance is a key element of executive compensation.
We should award these raises on a pay-for-performance basis contingent upon demonstrable improvements in areas like tax cuts, crime reduction, decreases in the number of regulatory personnel, etc.
@9:46
B.S. Performance is a key element of executive compensation!
Total B.S. Executive Compensation is out of control in this country! It is total greed and stupid stockholders.
They should be taxed 100% after 5 million.
As far as the common worker salary needs to be adjusted from 1978 with COL on they would be earning $50K rather than $20K year.
Then the salary of the 9 judges is within standards.
Hopefully, the addition of two new republicans on county council will make McClure more accountable. Up to now he has done what he wants and council sleeps. Gracedale is in trouble and needs to be reviewed without the interference of the McClure gang.
@4:12 an - You are dead on!
Word is that McClure will veto this for political posturing. If passed over his veto you can be sure he will take the higher salary.
Political animal!
Really, positions are not being filled. Just for example the 911 Center is down almost 20 Dispatchers and they had to have a expansion of the overtime budget due to all the overtimr. Get a clue. Gracedale is having to advertise on the highway and offer sign on bonuses. Lol.
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