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MAYVILLE - Attorneys employed by Chautauqua County are getting their pay range increased.
During the August county legislature meeting, lawmakers amended a local law for the salary plan for attorneys.
In the revised local law, ranges for select pay grades were increased.
Range 12 attorneys will now be paid between $77,475-$119,082. This will be for assistant county attorney, assistant district attorney, assistant public defender, and assistant Social Services attorney.
Range 14 attorneys will now be paid between $84,282-$131,884. This will be for second assistant county attorney, second assistant district attorney, second assistant public defender, and second assistant Social Services attorney.
Range 16 attorneys will now be paid between $91,102-$146,944. This will be for the first assistant Social Services attorney.
Range 18 attorneys will be paid between $97,922-$162,004. This will be for first assistant county attorney, first assistant district attorney, first assistant public defender, and Social Services attorney.
Range 19 attorneys will be paid between $101,332-$169,534. No titles were listed in the local law for this range.
Range 20 attorneys will be paid between $104,742-$177,064. This will be for the county attorney.
During committee meetings the week prior, Human Resource Director Debbie Makowski said with the passage of the local law, four attorneys will see an immediate pay increase which would impact the county budget by $29,000. Department heads said they can find the money necessary in their individual budgets for this year.
No comments were made during the legislature meeting.
During the committee meetings the week prior, Public Defender Nathan Barone, District Attorney Jason Schmidt, and County Attorney Patrick Slagle all said they have a hard time recruiting and retaining attorneys for their perspective departments, which is why they requested the larger pay ranges.
All legislators at the meeting voted in favor, except for Legislator Elisabeth Rankin, R-Jamestown, who abstained due to a conflict of interest.
CLERK, SECRETARY
A second local law was also modified, which will impact the clerk of the legislature and the secretary to the legislature.
No discussion was held during the full legislature meeting, but during committee meetings, Makowski said the clerk of the legislature is a flat salary and the secretary to the legislature is a non-graded position.
Makowski said they've done research that shows Chautauqua County is not competitive in either position compared to other counties across the state.
She said this change would move both positions to a salary range instead of the flat salary or hourly rate. "The change will help us retain and recruit, not that we're looking to recruit anytime soon," Makowski said.
This local law change will not go into effect until Jan. 1, so it will have no impact on this year's budget.
The change was unanimously adopted.