Letter to the editor: Westmoreland's high-paid commissioners

I doubt most Westmoreland County residents received a 13% raise in their paychecks over the past two years, like our current county commissioners (“Westmoreland elected officials to receive record raises,” Dec. 18, TribLIVE). The commissioners’ nearly-six-figure salaries are now 60% more than the county’s median per capita income.

The 20-year-old county ordinance that enabled this public heist is outdated and out of touch. It needs to be repealed and replaced, and include a cap.

For the three current commissioners to dismiss this big pay raise by claiming they “give money to charity” (everyone does), that they “haven’t really thought about it” (like his salary donation?) or simply not respond is really insulting to taxpayers.

The cost, and the commissioners’ benefit, is also exponential. They will enjoy a greater retirement payment for the rest of their lives, which also puts more strain on the county’s struggling pension fund.

It should not be lost on your readers, too, that they awarded themselves this big pay raise as they passed a budget balanced only by the federal American Rescue Plan. Westmoreland County’s financial reserves are nearly gone, even with the tax increase they began budgeting in 2020. Their pay raise only adds to the next inevitable tax increase.

Public service, again, lost to personal benefit.

Ted Kopas

Hempfield