Controller blasts Westmoreland commissioners over rejection of pay raise proposal

Westmoreland Controller Jeff Balzer called a vote by county commissioners Thursday to reject proposed raises for three of his office supervisors “incompetent or political.”

For the second time this year, Commissioners Doug Chew and Gina Cerilli Thrasher voted down a request from the controller to increase the pay of three office supervisors. The vote came even as the three commissioners and Balzer, acting as the county’s salary board, approved raises for other staff in the sheriff’s, behavioral health and tax offices and granted a pay hike to Westmoreland County Prison Warden Bryan Kline, who was hired in February.

“My subordinates now make more than the people who supervise them. This makes no sense,” Balzer said.

The proposal would have initially raised the salary of two staffers by more than $8,000, and a third was slated to receive a $5,200 salary bump.

That proposal also called for those three employees to get additional raises in 2022.

The commissioners said the controller this year spent $141,000 in salaries above what was budgeted at the start of the year. Balzer blamed the overrun on a mistake made by the county budget office.

“He’s supposed to be the county’s fiscal watchdog, and he went over his budget,” Thrasher said, noting she would support smaller raises for those staffers.

Raises approved for the sheriff’s office administrative team averaged about $2,000.

Chew proposed an alternate plan that would have given controller’s office employees smaller raises. Balzer objected, and Chew’s plan was withdrawn before a vote could be taken.

Chew said he believes many county employees are underpaid and specifically pointed to road crews, who work outside throughout the winter months.

“That team makes an average of $20 per hour, or $41,600 annual, and their job requires being on call all winter, working outside, doing back-breaking work and more. What would Controller Balzer want me to tell them if we give out these large raises to his group?” Chew said.

Commissioner Sean Kertes voted with Balzer in favor of the raises.

Balzer, who has had a contentious relationship with Chew and Thrasher, claimed their “no” votes were based on personal animus and not on financial concerns.

“We do this in every department, but they just don’t want to do it in my office,” Balzer said.

Salaries for two lower-level controller’s office employees were approved by the board.

Meanwhile, commissioners authorized 5.6% raises for the county’s nonunion workers. That raise mirrors the pay hikes county elected officials will receive next year.