Cortland County Legislator Kelly Preston (LD-10). (Photo provided by Cortland County).
An increase in pay for Cortland County management employees was recommended by county legislators at the finance and administration committee meeting on Tuesday.
Legislators will vote on a 4% increase, as well as other adjustments to the management plan in the way of tweaks to the management’s pay scale, at their legislative session on Oct. 27. If approved, changes to salaries would be reflected starting next year.
Also, if approved, the new changes to the “step” system the county has set up for employees would shorten the number of years it takes for a management employee to reach step four, the best-compensated step in the system. Under the potential new changes, employees would reach grade four after an eight-year tenure, as opposed to the current 10-year tenure required.
“We thought it was very important that you don't remain at step three for that length of time,” said legislator Kelly Preston (LD-10). “Step four is where you have seniority.”
Preston used the example of the undersheriff position, which has been vacant since the retirement of former Undersheriff Bud Rigg in July.
In a letter shared on social media by Cortland County Sheriff Mark Helms, the sheriff said he told legislature chair Kevin Fitch (R) in July he was concerned about the position’s salary. Helms included a table with salaries for various positions at his office, including undersheriff and captain, to highlight the undersheriff’s lower salary. In Helms’ example, as of 2020, the undersheriff earned a salary about $3,000 lower than a road captain.
Below is a copy of Helms’ letter:
The salary for the undersheriff, in accordance with the proposed changes, would be $118,171, Preston said.
Below is a table of the changes made to the step system that could go into effect next year if approved by the Legislature.
“Employees shall begin employment at step one of the grade, unless the county administrator (Rob Corpora) and personnel officer Laurie Leonard determine that the need for the services or employees’ experience require that compensation be fixed at a higher step,” Preston said.
A full review of the proposed changes can be found here, starting on page 16: http://cortlandcountyny.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=3511&Inline=True
