In a special meeting Monday, Somerset County Commissioners salary board set the 2025 salaries for county employees, effective Jan. 1.
They include:
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The starting salary for the correctional officers for the Somerset County Jail will be $17.68, a 47 cents per hour increase.
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Increasing salaries for all employees covered by the UMWA-JAIL contract by 2.75% will move to the next step on the first pay period following the anniversary date if applicable in accordance with the 2023-2026 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
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Increased the 2025 annual salaries for all AFSCME Bargaining Unit employees in accordance with the 2024-2026 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
More: Somerset County Commissioners re-adopt 2025 budget after clerical error is fixed
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Increased the salaries for all SCAPE Bargaining Unit employees in accordance with the 2024-2026 Collective Bargaining Agreement at a starting rate of $17.44 an hour; completion of 12 months at $20.41 an hour; and completion of 18 months at $22.28 per hour. Wages for SCAPE Case PO aides and interns will be paid 75% of the wage rate applicable to officers.
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Annual salaries for all full-time employees not covered by the AFSCME UMWA-JAIL, or SCAPE contracts or otherwise addressed, will increase by $1,000. Increased the annual salaries for all part-time employees not covered by the same unions by 3%.
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District attorney office salaries for assistant DA, first assistant DA and full- and part-time assistant DAs were increased. The chief detective and the starting salary for the detective DA were increased. Trial deputies received increases in salary. The public defender, first assistant public defender and assistant public defender all received an increase in salaries.
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The Children and Youth Service solicitor and assistant solicitor, the director and assistant director of Veterans Services, director of the tax claim, deputy EMA director, assistant chief clerk, elections assistant, office coordinator, voting system specialist and administrative assistant all received increases in salaries.
More: Somerset County Commissioners adopt 2025 budget with no tax increase
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Stipends for the 2025 year, which is not added to the base salary, was approved for the master firearms instructor, certified firearms instructors, and defensive tactics instructors.
The complete list of salary changes and the recipients can be found on the county’s website: https://www.co.somerset.pa.us/comm/commagenda/Annual%20Salary%20Board%20Agenda%2001-06-2025.pdf.
The commissioners set the number of employees in each department the same as was in 2024 with these exceptions: creating a full-time sheriff deputy at a salary of $42,640; a QA program specialist in CYS at a salary of $38,000 – 80% ACT 148 Allowable County cost is $7,000 to $7,600; and property tax coordinator for the treasurer’s office at a salary of $26,325.
Positions deleted from the 2024 department employees include: 911 director in the 911 emergency center; trail operations manager in the trails department; recycling coordinator in recycling; clerk for the jail; GIS technician and temporary clerk in Planning and Zoning; clerk in the public defender; GIS director in GIS department; grant writer for the commissioners; right-to-know officer/HR administrative assistant in the commissioners; and data collector in tax assessment.
More: Somerset County Commissioners approve agreements, hirings
In other action
The commissioners approved a vehicle maintenance agreement between Probation & Parole of Somerset County and Somerset County Transportation System-Tableland Services Inc. to perform maintenance services on the Probation & Parole vehicles beginning Jan. 1.
The commissioners approved a change order between the county and McClure Co., for a modification on the scope of work: for the Somerset County Founders Building, an emergency generator system for $258,812 and an emergency generator system for the Somerset County Airport building at $203,504. Both of the projects will be funded through an ARPA grant.
The commissioners approved certification to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for the Land Preservation Easement Purchase Program.
Madolin Edwards has been a journalist at the Daily American for 38 years, covering school boards, borough councils, sports and new stories. Contact the Daily American reporters at news@dailyamerican.com.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Somerset County Commissioners set 2025 salaries