At last night's meeting, Northampton County Council voted to approve the appointment of Deb Watlington as the county's new Fiscal Director, but at a lower starting salary than what had been proposed by Executive Tara Zrinski.
Zrinski's appointment would start Watlington at a salary of $125,108, and with benefits would give her a total compensation package of $164,923.
While she agreed with the appointment, Council member Lori Vargo Heffner said that the starting salary should be $109,632 and proposed confirming the appointment at the lower rate. Her motion to amend was passed by a 5-4 vote, The Yes votes were from Vargo Heffner, Theresa Fadem, Tom Giovanni, Nadeem Qayyum and Dave Holland. Voting No were Council members Ken Kraft, Kelly Keegan, Jason Boulette, and Jeff Warren.
At this lower rate of $109,632, Watlington's appointment was approved in a 6-3 vote. Voting yes were Vargo Heffner, Giovanni, Fadem, Holland, Boulette and Kraft. Voting No were Keegan, Warren and Qayyum.
Before the vote, County Solicitor Melissa Rudas advised that the Executive has the right to hire a Fiscal Director at any salary she chooses, and that reducing the pay was an "exercise in futility." Vargo Heffner strongly disagreed, stating that Council approves the budget and corresponding salaries.
This issue has arisen before. When he was Executive, John Brown knocked his Administrator's salary up by three steps without getting permission from County Council. Then Controller Steve Barron noted this increase violated Career Service Regulations (Section 4.01) that require County Council to approve any pay raise that bumps anyone up more than one step in the payscale. The Home Rule Charter does specifically provide that County Council sets the wages (Section 202(11).
While Zrinski has the authority to award a one-step increase right now, it's unclear to me what authority she has to set a higher salary.
Zrinski made clear in her introduction of Watlington that a higher salary was necessary to lure Watlington, a CPA, from Lehigh. So I fail to understand why Council went with a lower compensation package for someone who already is taking a pay cut.
5 comments:
They went with it because it’s what Lori wanted Q is a roll of the dice on any vote and sadly Dave seems to go with whatever Lori wants it’s disappointing to say the least. They think this is a great triumph they can tell the voters about that they saved so many thousand dollars but it could end with either an annoying back and fourth and maybe losing out on someone actually qualified to do the job.
Once again, the McClure gang still breeds its hate. If they don't get what they want now, it is Hefner's fault and her forcing otherers to vote with her. Like it or not county Council sets the pay. The solicitor and the administrative minions are all McClure leftovers. Zirinski made a deal with the devil.
Also, that whacko Keegan who claims county council cannot question Executive appointments is so blinded by her own stupidity she has no clue. If you have to vote on it, you have every right to ask questions. Very seldom do you get someone as dense as her on Council. This is the new council that blindly does what they are told by the Executive. Save tax MONEY AND DUMP Council.
NORCO council can be summed up in one word - Dysfunctional
That was some display of cruelty if I ever watched it. You have LVH leading Fadem who stopped paying attention and then was stymied when it was her turn to vote (she needs to be told which way to vote by her pal), there was Holland who did not know what he had just done and regrettably was like "what just happened? What did I do?", and then there is Quyam who thinks everyone should get paid more but then votes to decrease a salary. That's some crew up there.
Northampton County has gone months without a Fiscal Director, one of the most critical financial positions in county government. We've struggled to attract qualified candidates because the salary simply isn't competitive. Potential candidates have declined interviews or withdrawn from consideration because they could earn significantly more elsewhere.
Then, after an extensive search, we finally found a highly qualified candidate willing to leave her current position and take a pay cut to serve Northampton County. Instead of welcoming her and recognizing the sacrifice she was making, Council chose to amend the resolution and reduce her starting salary from Step 3 to Step 1.
Think about the message that sends.
We complain that we can't find qualified people. We acknowledge that the private sector and neighboring organizations pay more. We finally find someone willing to come here anyway, and then we decide to pay her even less?!
This wasn't fiscal responsibility. The difference in salary is negligible in a multi-million-dollar county budget. What isn't negligible is the cost of leaving a key financial leadership position vacant, delaying projects, overburdening existing staff, and creating instability in county government.
The question taxpayers should be asking is simple: Are we trying to recruit and retain talented professionals, or are we making political points at the expense of effective government?
Actions have consequences. If this candidate walks away, Northampton County will once again be searching for a Fiscal Director while wondering why qualified applicants aren't lining up for the job.
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