Luzerne County officials may complete a staffing and salary study that was suggested in the recent strategic plan.
County Council’s June adoption of the five-year strategic plan makes the county eligible for annual state Strategic Management Planning Program funding over the next five years to help enact plan recommendations it chooses to pursue.
Completed by the Pennsylvania Economy League, the plan cost $113,750, half of which was covered by a Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development grant, officials had said.
The council is set to vote Tuesday on the study funding request. The council discussed an application seeking up to $200,000 during the work session. The administration said a 50% county match would be required.
County Manager Romilda Crocamo told a council committee in July that a new compensation study is needed. Many salaries are still not at the level recommended in the last study conducted a decade ago, including those of workers handling increased responsibilities, she had said.
Crocamo also said she was exploring a structured plan that could provide compensation incentives to workers based on their length of service and success in implementing efficiency improvements that do not compromise services.
In the last council work session, the administration cited sections of the five-year plan that support the need for a staffing/salary study.
“It is important for the county to maintain a competitive compensation structure and workplace in order to recruit and maintain the necessary workforce,” the plan said.
It recommended a staffing and compensation strategy that includes streamlining non-union positions and reallocating the resulting savings to increase salaries.
The plan also suggests increasing salaries “as able and necessary” to attract qualified candidates and reduce turnover.
“Many departments report staffing shortages, turnover, compensation challenges, and training gaps,” it said.
The county’s Judicial Services and Records Division is among the examples highlighted in the plan.
“Staffing challenges affect multiple offices, particularly those responsible for court filings and case management,” it said of the division. “Turnover has resulted in the loss of experienced personnel and increased pressure on remaining staff.”
Recruitment is constrained by non-competitive salaries, despite the availability of strong county benefits, the plan added.
To be clear, some of the county positions that remain vacant are unionized.
The county employs approximately 1,550, and more than two-thirds are covered by collective bargaining agreements, the plan said.
Although the plan recommends compensation increases where needed, it also emphasizes the county must carefully manage personnel costs so they do not “become fiscally problematic for the taxpayer.”
It cautions a formal wage study must measure against other comparable county public sector positions in counties located nearby or with similar demographics and factor in the entire compensation package, including pension plans and health insurance coverage.
Tuesday’s council meeting is at 6 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Instructions for the remote attendance option will be posted on the council’s online public meeting section at luzernecounty.org.