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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012
CASELOADS Continued from Page 1A
Parole. Juvenile probation officers also fared exceptionally well in 2010, earning an average of $56,732 – the second highest average salary out of all counties in the state, according to report by the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission. Compensation paid to probation employees has come under increased scrutiny by Luzerne County officials, who are questioning the disparity in wages with other departments in the county, as well as the state. The overall statewide average salary for adult probation officers was $45,861 in 2010 with the highest average pay offered by Bucks County ($65,560) and the lowest in Forest County ($20,462), according to County Adult Probation and Parole Statistical Report (CAPP) issued by the state Board of Probation and Parole. For juvenile probation officers, the overall state average was $43,934. Lehigh County had the highest average salary at $57,972, while Huntingdon County paid the lowest average at $25,139, according to the Juvenile Probation Personnel report issued by the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission. Disparities noticed Mike Shucosky, deputy court administrator, said the court system, which controls all hirings within court branches, has also taken notice of the disparities. Officials are vowing to undertake a review of the department to determine whether staffing levels are appropriate, he said. The proposed review was prompted in part, Shucosky said, by the CAPP report, which showed Luzerne County adult probation officers had an average caseload of 97 offenders in 2010 -the third lowest caseload out the all third-class counties. “One of the courts’ concerns is whether or not we are in variance with the caseloads of other counties that are comparable in size to us and whether or not we are mismanaging resources,” Shucosky said. “The statistics we are getting lead us to require accountability of the probation office and request a good solid reason for the staffing and work load.” The CAPP report, released in November, showed wide disparities between caseloads and salaries amongst counties. Probation officers in York County, for instance, had an average caseload of 173 offenders – 78 percent higher than Luzerne County probation officers. Yet officers in York have the third lowest average salary at $43,010.
In Berks County, probation officers had an average caseload of196 offenders – more than double the Luzerne County caseload. Those officers earned an average of $52,809. Longevity factors in Tom Pribula, interim county manager for Luzerne County, said the high salary costs here are largely tied to longevity bonuses contained in the union contract, which allow probation officers to attain top rate within eight years. In 2012, 62 of 72 probation officers will earn the top rate of $60,577. “A lot of people were hired around the same time. As you go through the progressive steps, you get to the highest level, plus they get a salary increase. There are a lot of people hitting their peak salaries,” Pribula said. While that’s costly, it has also reduced turnover, resulting in the county having one of the most experienced probation staffs, with 87 percent of employees having five or more years of experience in 2010, according to the CAPP report. Compare that to York County, which has had high turnover rates for years, due largely to the high caseload and lower than average salaries, said Al Sable, director of adult probation. Just 57 percent of his staff had five or more years of experience in 2010, according to the CAPP report. Experience factors in Sable said that’s been a major concern. His staff has struggled to keep up with caseloads. Fortunately, he said, he was able to convince the county commissioners this year to restore several positions that were eliminated several years ago. “Frequent turnover creates a lack of stability. The less stable you are, the more room there is for things to slip through the cracks,” Sable said. “For every new probation officer we bring in, it’s a minimum of a year before they get to know the operation.” What is an appropriate caseload for probation officers? The American Probation and Parole Association, an organization that represents probation officers, has said that’s a difficult question to answer given the variance in the types of offenders and setup of county probation offices. The organization recommends caseloads be based on a “workload” model, which factors in the complexity of the case. A case with a high priority would require four hours per month equaling 30 as a total caseload. Medium priority would require two hours per month equaling 60 as a total caseload. Low priority would require one hour per month equaling a total caseload of
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THE TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com
ADULT PROBATION COMPARISON Data show how Luzerne County adult probation services compares to the 10 other third-class counties statewide. Information is from the 2010 County Adult Probation and Parole report compiled by the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole.
Average Salary Lehigh
$56,077
Luzerne
$53,544
Chester
$53,396
Berks
$52,809
Dauphin
$52,708
Westmoreland
$48,725
Northampton
$48,566
Erie
$43,123
York
$43,010
Lancaster
$41,351
Lackawanna
$41,181 $10,000
$20,000
$30,000
$40,000
$50,000
Average Caseload 205
Chester
196
Berks Lehigh
176
Westmoreland
174
York
173
Northampton
148
Lackawanna
107
Erie
105
Luzerne
97
Lancaster
74
Dauphin
71 50
100
150
200
JUVENILE PROBATION COMPARISON These are average salaries for third-class counties in Pennsylvania, taken from the 2010 Juvenile Probation Personnel Report of the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission. Lehigh
$57,972
Luzerne
$56,732
Berks
$53,260
Westmoreland
$48,950
Northampton
$48,421
Lancaster
$42,484
Dauphin
$41,728
York
$40,434
Chester
$40,411
Lackawanna
$37,922
Erie $10,000
$20,000
$37,215 $30,000 $40,000
$50,000
Mark Guydish/The Times Leader
120. Michael Vecchio, county director of Probation Services, said he has always set the standard at around 100 cases per probation officer, with some officers having more or less, based on the types of cases they handle. Probation Services is among numerous departments that have been targeted for layoffs by county council, which is set to vote on the budget tonight. Shucosky said the department expects to eliminate six to 10 positions through layoffs or by not fill-
SALARIES
ing open positions. Vecchio said he understands concerns of county officials struggling to balance the budget. But he cautioned that we can’t lose sight of the importance of the work his department does. “Every person we supervise is a convicted felon,” Vecchio said. “The fact we have lower caseloads allows us to make more field contacts and be more in tune with what an offender is doing. ... If you start cutting staff, it will certainly impact the delivery of those services.” hold a college degree, but there are a handful of employees in both departments who do not have a degree because they were grandfathered in prior to that becoming a requirement. Employees in both departments are covered under a five-year contract with the Court Appointed Professional Employees Association that runs through Dec. 31, 2014.
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enforcement officers will earn that rate, an analysis of county payroll records shows. Salaries have become a major concern for Luzerne County Council members, a majority of whom recently voted to lay off an estimated 56 employees and raise taxes 2 percent in order to balance the 2012 budget. The widely disparate compensation among departments serves as a prime example of why the county needs to overhaul salary structures and hiring practices, said County Council Chairman Jim Bobeck and Interim County Manager Tom Pribula. Consider: • Salaries paid to probation and domestic relations officers rank the workers among the top 3.5 percent of the highest wage earners employed by the county, exceeding salaries of nearly 97 percent of the 1,573 full-time employees, including many who have advanced degrees. • Most probation and domestic relations officers have a bachelor’s degree or less, yet they will earn more than 14 of the 15 full-time assistant district attorneys, whose salaries range from $41,200 to $49,284, and five of the eight fulltime public defenders, who will earn $41,200 to $50,135. They also will top nearly every department head in the county, most of whom earn between $40,000 to $55,000, and several county engineers, who will earn between $41,200 and $57,680. Bobeck said he knew wages in probation and domestic relations
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AIMEE DILGER/THE TIMES LEADER
Interim County Manager Tom Pribula, far right, answers questions at Monday’s county council meeting at the EMA building.
were high, but he had no idea how great the disparity was between other departments until advised of findings in The Times Leader’s analysis. “Those numbers are startling to me. I knew probation was good. I didn’t know it was that good,” Bobeck said. “I’m not saying some people should not be paid more if there are certain requirements for jobs. But there is no parity … I’ve been preaching to council that we need a countywide salary structure and countywide hiring practices.” Court controls hirings All positions within the county had to be approved by the now-defunct county salary board, which ceased to exist once home rule took effect. But the president judge has sole discretion over who gets court-related jobs, appointing them via a court order. As a department, Probation Services will have the third highest base payroll (not including overtime) in the county this year,
behind only the Luzerne County Correctional Facility and Children and Youth Services. The county is set to spend $5.91 million on base salaries for Probation’s113 employees, including probation officers, supervisors and support staff. Domestic Relations, meanwhile, is the fifth most costly department with a base payroll of $3 million. And those costs are going to escalate in the coming years as most unionized employees will receive raises of roughly $1,300 to $1,800 annually for each of the next two years of the five-year pact. That will bring the top rate from $60,557 to $64,266 in 2014. Under the current contract, a probation officer reaches the top rate within eight years. That means a person hired in January 2010 at a salary of $42,511 will earn $54,918 in 2014 – a $12,407 raise, or 29 percent. If the number of steps remains the same in the next contract, they would reach top rate by 2017. Probation and Domestic Relations each require employees to
Challenges, dangers Charles Majikes, a probation officer who heads the union, agreed the salaries are high compared to most other departments, but those departments don’t face the same challenges and dangers as probation and domestic relations officers, he said. Probation officers monitor criminal offenders released from prison to ensure they are complying with conditions of probation or parole. Their jobs include conducting drug tests and pre-sentence investigations, referring clients to the appropriate agencies and, in the case of higher risk offenders, conducting spot checks at their homes. “People don’t understand the dangers we are subjected to every day. We’re dealing with convicted felons. When we go knock on a door, we have no idea what’s behind that door,” Majikes said. He acknowledged the domestic relations officers, most of whom sit behind a desk in an office protected by metal detectors and guards, don’t face the same degree of danger as probation officers. He said they’re still at risk, given the nature of their jobs and the unpredictability of how people will react. “They subject themselves to danger every day, too,” Majikes said. “If someone is out there not
BUDGET Continued from Page 1A
I F YO U G O The Luzerne County Council will adopt the 2012 amended budget at 6:01 tonight in the county’s Emergency Management Agency building, 185 Water St., WilkesBarre. The amended budget may be viewed on the county website, www.luzernecounty.org, under the county council link.
about $10.50 more on a property assessed at $100,000. Property taxes are currently 5.215 mills, or $521 on a $100,000 property. Many workers are equally unSeiwell also said people crithappy because the $122.7 million operating budget is a $1.56 icizing the benefits for prison million reduction from last workers may not realize they year’s actual spending. The have a managed care plan that plan requires an estimated 50 to does not include dental or eye 60 layoffs in addition to 23 cuts insurance. Unionized prison from recent retirements and workers won’t start paying toward health care until the start row officer eliminations. County managers will final- of 2013, when they will contribize the roster of layoffs on ute $60 per month. Duryea resiWednesday, said Kevin county Interim “It’s going to hurt dent O’Brien chalManager Tom some people, and I lenged the payPribula. ment of on-call Plains Town- just want you to stipends to workship resident Tim Turnbaugh, one of be aware of that.” ers and health 14 speakers, said Tim Turnbaugh care for part-time Plains Township resident court attorneys. he lives in a neighon proposed tax hike O’Brien said he borhood with accepted paying many elderly resitoward health indents who can’t afford an increase, even $10. His surance and always being on neighbor gets by on $560 a call without additional commonth in Social Security, he pensation when he was county emergency management direcsaid. “It’s going to hurt some peo- tor because he was glad to have ple, and I just want you to be a job. County employees should aware of that,” Turnbaugh said. look for other work if they beHe advised county officials to lieve they can “do better,” he compare staffing levels and sal- said. County Controller Walter aries to those in other similarly sized counties to identify po- Griffith asked council to cancel tential overstaffing and out-of- the tax hike. Union representatives complain about layoffs but whack compensation. Wilkes-Barre resident Robert are not willing to freeze their Shortz said he will make do pay hikes or give up extras such with the tax hike but cautioned as longevity bonuses and unicouncil that many county resi- form allowances in some dedents have diminishing in- partments that don’t require special uniforms, he said. come, including him. Griffith said he is sharing in Kingston taxpayer Ed Gustitus pointed to the cost of sala- cuts by eliminating two emries and benefits, particularly ployees, which will leave him for union workers, saying “all with a staff of four, including him. they do is take.” Brian Shiner, also of King“I’m just fighting for the taxston, said his 95-year-old father payers,” Gustitus said. Attorney Matthew Muckler, lives on Social Security and who works in the county Dis- isn’t thrilled with a $10.50 intrict Attorney’s Office, told crease, but viewed it as a “pencouncil members they are alty” on county taxpayers who “playing with fire” reducing did not speak up when the budgets in the district attor- county’s debt ballooned to ney’s, clerk of courts and public more than $400 million. The 2 percent hike will equadefenders offices. Muckler said all three offices te to a fast food meal, he said. Shiner said the new council are understaffed and facing difficulties keeping up with de- had limited timely options bemands. Budget cuts shouldn’t cause the “sins of forefathers drive decisions on which cases were heaped upon” them and should be prosecuted, he said. unions weren’t willing to freeze Prison union representative pay hikes or take off 12 days Tony Seiwell questioned how without pay. He challenged the council the prison will be able to absorb 14 layoffs, noting the prison and incoming manager Robert warden recently hired five new Lawton to implement efficienworkers because they were cies that would allow taxes to be reduced 2 percent in 2013. needed. holding up to their responsibility as far as child support, they’re told we’re going to take this much money off of you, people react differently.” Bobeck said he doesn’t discount the challenges of the jobs, but other employees, including prison guards and sheriff’s deputies, also face dangers. “You want to pay people an appropriate salary, but it has to be in line with the work,” Bobeck said. Bobeck isn’t the only person questioning the salaries. The disparity has long been a source of consternation for Chief Public Defender Al Flora Jr., who has questioned how compensation levels were determined. “The salary structure in the county does not make any sense,” Flora said. “When I see a young assistant district attorney or public defender with all those years of education behind them, and they have a starting salary of $20,000 less than someone with a bachelor’s degree, I’m offended.” Managers’ pay lower Michael Vecchio, director of Probation Services, said he also has concerns regarding the differences in pay for unionized workers compared to managers. At a salary of $78,159, Vecchio will earn more than any union member in his department, but that’s not the case for five supervisors in the office, who will earn $59,685 -- $892 less than a top rate union employee. “It’s not conducive to keeping managers if the officers get a pay increase each year and management doesn’t,” Vecchio said. Majikes said he believes union workers are being unfairly targeted as an “easy scapegoat” for
county officials looking to layoffs as a “quick fix” for the county’s financial problems. The salaries paid in Probation and Domestic Relations are the result of years of raises contained in collective bargaining agreements reached with the county, Majikes said. If county officials were not happy with the contracts, they didn’t have to approve them. ‘Contractual negligence’ Bobeck, who took office in January along with the other 10 county council members, said he doesn’t know why former county commissioners, who approved the union contracts, agreed to such generous terms. “I have to assume there were years of contractual negligence,” Bobeck said. Bobeck said council intends to take a close look at union contracts and seek concessions. He and Pribula acknowledged that could be a tough challenge. Any changes would have to be negotiated with each of the county unions. “It’s hard to cut a collective bargaining agreement. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but it’s pretty difficult,” Pribula said. “You need to start by tiering future contracts down with new hires. … It’s pretty difficult to get a major concession from existing people.” Bobeck said he’s committed to doing just that. A majority of council members agreed to raise real estate taxes this year, allowing the county to reduce the number of layoffs. He said unions should not expect council to take that action again. “If they can’t get a handle on escalating costs, there are going to be serious issues down the road that lead to greater cuts,” Bobeck said.