Luzerne County Acting Manager Brian Swetz said Tuesday he decided to provide across-the-board 2% raises to non-union employees under his supervision in 2023.
This differs from the practice in recent years of providing varying raises based on employee performance reviews. Past manager C. David Pedri had changed to a merit-based approach, saying it was more challenging to parse out but provided a strong motivational tool for employees.
Swetz said would support both options — merit-based or uniform for all — in future years based on funds allocated by council, but he decided to revert to across-the-board this year because everyone has been impacted by inflation. He noted raises were not provided to a handful of workers that were placed on “performance improvement plans” based on an evaluation of their work.
The county’s report on raises dates back to Jan. 1, when the increases took effect. As a result, it may include workers no longer employed by the county or subsequently promoted to other county positions.
After factoring in the 2% raises, the report lists the following new annual compensation amounts for employees under the county manager’s supervision:
• Council
Sharon Lawrence, council clerk, $45,755
• County Manager
Michele Sparich, grant writer, $57,742
Jennifer Thomas, executive administrative assistant, $49,324
• Human Resources
Neva Colella, HR generalist, $43,697
Allison Lussier, HR generalist, $43,697
Anthony Nicholas, HR generalist, $42,840
Jennifer Pecora, administrative services division head, $96,390
• Budget and Finance
Peggy Baloga, internal audit clerk, $44,253
Erin Chiogna, budget and policy clerk, $36,057
James Evanoski, senior accountant, $52,453
Lee Ann Holub, bank rec clerk, $30,591
Mark Majikes, office administrator, $54,060
• Assessors
Michael Lavelle, appraisal manager, $51,765
Kristin Montgomery, director of assessments, $61,200
• Treasurer
Laura Beers, office manager, $59,407
David Muroski, accountant, $59,713
• Mapping
Daniel Reese, GIS director, $65,135
Patrick Farrell Sine Sr., GIS analyst, $51,000
• Purchasing
Mary Ann Amesbury, purchasing director, $55,661
• Solicitor
Patrick Della Valle, solicitor, $70,730
Mackenzie Gagliardi, executive secretary, $43,860
Mark Makowski, solicitor, $69,496
Paula Radick, solicitor, $65,612
Harry Skene, chief county solicitor, $98,430
• Public Defender
Alison Evans, office administrator, $45,174
Steven Greenwald, chief public defender, $102,628
Bruce Reddock, chief investigator, $57,743
Randy Shaw, deputy chief investigator, $48,691
• Recorder of Deeds
Mary K. Dysleski, recorder of deeds/register of wills manager, $59,806
• Planning and Zoning
Christopher Chapman, transportation planner, $55,141
Priscilla Cuevas, planning/zoning analyst, $45,900
Matthew Jones, planning/zoning director, $66,585
Jonathan Shaw, transportation planner, $49,470
• Information Technology
Peter Ackourey, network administrator, $55,059
Jeffrey Bennett, IT analyst, $61,200
Kevin Crowley, network administrator 2, $52,723
Matthew Hannon, information security analyst, $55,080
Edward E. James III, IT service manager, $61,200
Andrew Mesaris, IT operations manager, $61,200
Johnathan O’Dell, information technician, $42,840
Manuel Ramirez, elections technician, $45,390
Peter Charles Triolo, help desk technician, $42,840
Andrew Zbikowski, network administrator, $49,837
• Boiler Plant
Robert Richard Dudick, mechanical systems engineer, $39,521
• Coroner
Joseph Jacobs, chief deputy coroner, $48,616
Kaitlin Keating-Storz, field investigator/autopsy assistant, $33,619
Jillian Matthews, coroner, $64,260
• Prothonotary
Joan Hoggarth, judicial services and records division head, $89,190
James Jesikiewicz, fiscal supervisor, $41,597
• Sheriff
Ryan Foy, lieutenant, $49,652
Eugene Gurnari, chief deputy sheriff, $58,140
Brian Szumski, sheriff, $66,960
• Records Storage
Edward Kovalski, records manager, $53,740
• Corrections Administration
Karen Krzysik, budget/finance analyst, $43,169
John Robshaw, deputy warden, $73,440
Deborah Schloss, administrative assistant, $37,455
Patricia Yudichak, executive secretary, $36,720
• Prison Minimal Offenders Unit
Stanley Betkoski, lieutenant, $62,271
Nicholas Lermitte, minimal offenders unit manager, $54,960
Kaitlyn Romiski, lieutenant, $65,545
Fred White III, lieutenant, $63,516
• County Correctional Facility
Francis Aigeldinger, records captain, $67,320
John Ameen, lieutenant, $70,379
Christina Oprishko Beyer, treatment coordinator, $53,125
John Brawley, lieutenant, $67,881
Ronald Bronsburg, lieutenant, $64,260
William Brown, lieutenant, $66,365
Patrick Kane, captain, $67,320
Sean Mulhearn, classification specialist, $35,700
Thomas Wall, captain, $67,319.98 2%
Randal Williams, lieutenant, $65,224
• 911
John Ankenbrand, part-time technical support supervisor, $25,190
Brian Black, training and quality assurance coordinator, $54,654
Angela Czapla, quality assurance officer, $48,927
John Dennis Jr., PSAP supervisor, $48,450
William Ives, technical support specialist, $59,788
Ryan Thomas Kane, PSAP supervisor, $48,450
Gina Krone, PSAP manager, $63,747
Frank Lasiewicki, PSAP supervisor, $52,036
Stephen McDaniels, PSAP supervisor, $52,160
Christopher Meeker, radio support coordinator, $57,222
Patricia Petriga, lead PSAP supervisor, $55,174
Fred Rosencrans, 911 director, $78,810
Kristen Rowlands, PSAP supervisor, $49,419
Jacob Schmitt, PSAP supervisor, $49,419
David Skoronski, Next Gen 911 GIS manager, $67,316
Jonathan Adam Trebunak, PSAP supervisor, $48,450
Jennifer Truchon, PSAP supervisor, $48,450
Barbara Wesley, training and protocol supervisor, $53,040
Andrew Zahorsky, technical support manager, $62,346
• Emergency Management
David Elmore, deputy director, $53,665
Charles Krommes, emergency management planner, $37,324
Lucille Morgan, EMA coordinator, $68,289
Ronald Smith, Act 165 coordinator, $38,760
• Road and Bridge
Gregory Kurtz, operational services division head, $96,390
Carl Lisowski, executive secretary, $39,646
• Engineers
William McIntosh, engineer/fleet manager, $73,994
Gregory Parrs, engineer, $56,827
Lawrence Plesh, county engineer, $79,840
Edgar Stark, engineer, $57,167
• Veteran Affairs
James Spagnola, director, $58,225
• Community Development
Michelle Fennell, housing manager, $50,173
Catherine Hilsher, deputy director, $69,701
Mark Hurst, municipal projects manager, $52,401
Andrew Reilly, executive director, $84,029
Jay Zupa, public service manager, $47,754
• Convention and Visitors Bureau
Sarah Harris, sales and marketing director, $54,570
Gaye Nowak, office coordinator, $31,992
Alan K. Stout, director, $66,300
• Area Agency on Aging
Sandra Acornley, senior center director 3, $41,616
James Cease, IT generalist administrator, $54,655
Timothy Farrell, fiscal officer 3, $60,690
Susan Harding, care manager supervisor 2, $63,055
Brian McAdarra, care manager supervisor 2, $46,693
Mary Roselle, executive director, $85,675
Sheila Rothenbecker, administrative assistant 1, $36,027
Mary Schell, care manager supervisor 3, $54,101
• Children and Youth
Donna Domiano, caseworker manager 2, $69,806
Ellen Dymond, administrative assistant, $52,941
Georgine Faux, administrative officer 1, $48,927
Rachel Finnegan, attorney 2, $54,825
Paul Galante, supervisory attorney 3, $74,909
Tara Golomb, clerical supervisor 2, $37,740
Scott Hampton, attorney 2, $55,648
Christopher Harrison, attorney 2, $59,039
David Maslowski, network specialist 2, $44,692
Nicholas Seaman, attorney 2, $55,922
William Urbanski, attorney 2, $55,922
• Mental Health/Developmental Services
Mary-Jean Baird-Stanislow, caseworker manager 1, $47,430
Philip Buickus, caseworker manager 2, $52,530
Tara Fox, MH/DS administrator, $76,888
Joan Kaminski, administrative assistant 2, $54,387
Amy Tomkoski, deputy administrator 2, $61,663
• Human Services
Jessica Beishline, HR business partner, $53,040
Maria Cinti, HR coordinator, $37,454
Lynn Hill, human services division head, $96,165
Caitlyn Holland, fiscal officer 3, $61,200
Crystal Jennings, budget analyst 1, $39,535
James Kolojejchick, program coordinator, $47,733
Kylee Majikes, HR analyst 2, $40,800
Charyl Nagy, HR analyst 2, $42,540
Susan Nat, administrative assistant, $39,315
Maria Pavlick, financial analyst, $49,684
Joseph Unvarsky, maintenance/facilities coordinator, $34,599
Adam Wiernusz, fiscal director, $76,831
• Drug and Alcohol
Marie Baratta, administrative assistant 1, $38,985
Pamela Coveleski, fiscal officer, $54,429
Michael Gagliardi, assistant administrator, $56,100
Michelle Galey, case management specialist, $43,822
Joy Gavrish, case management specialist, $41,706
Bianca Gibbons, case management specialist, $41,090
Ryan Hogan, administrator, $72,662
Dawn McQuiston, case management specialist, $41,501
Jill Sprau, case management supervisor, $46,699
Controller, District Attorney
County Controller Walter Griffith implemented the 2% raises for three workers, according to the report. The impacted workers and their new compensation: Lisa Cope, internal auditor, $38,760; Melissa Jones, internal auditor, $36,720; and Thomas Sokola, deputy controller, $53,040.
Raises varied in the DA’s Office.
County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce said he submitted and budgeted the increases, which are covered by a mix of the general fund operating budget, grants, state stipends and drug forfeitures.
Sanguedolce said he had stated in his budget presentation to county council that the compensation changes were necessary to address a “traumatic loss of employees due to onerous workloads resulting from staffing shortages, amplified by staggering inflation, and lower starting salaries.”
He reiterated his office has been losing some employees to other courthouse offices that pay more, including three attorneys who took other county positions.
“The raises are an attempt to counteract that trend,” he said.
The new union contract covering assistant district attorneys and public defenders resulted in a nearly 20% raise, which means some non-union supervisors are now making less than those they supervise, even after receiving their own compensation increases, he said.
For example, a non-union employee who received a 10% raise was making approximately $53,000 as the division chief for vehicular crimes, which was a salary set when the assistant district attorney starting salary was $40,000, two union contracts ago. An equivalent division chief position was advertised and filled in the $60,000 starting range last year.
Sanguedolce said he had money in his budget to cover all increases due to the “unfortunate amount of vacancies,” and he intends to replenish those budget lines with incoming grant funds and other outside sources.
The non-union employees receiving increases, along with their new compensation, according to the county report:
Kelley Conner, executive assistant, $42,000, 5%
Patricia Courtney, executive secretary, $39,375, 5%
Chester Dudick, deputy district attorney, $80,430, 5%
Anne Frey, community outreach coordinator, $32,800, 3%
Amanda Nicole Gilmer, office administrator, $42,000, 5%
Michelle Giza, case manager, $57,962, 5%
Thomas Hogans, narcotics division chief, $73,641, 8%
Kristina Jordan, opioid outreach coordinator, $38,556, 5%
Daniel Marsh, DUI division chief, $60,049, 10%
Sherry Middleton, fiscal clerk, $41,080, 5%
Jessica Miraglia, juvenile division chief, $63,000, 5%
William Patton, gun violence reduction agent, $48,654, 5%
Anthony Ross, first assistant district attorney, $99,251, 4%
Rebecca Rybak, highway safety education coordinator, $40,039, 3%
Brian Sarafinko, auto theft task force operator, $55,620, 8%
Daniel Zola, deputy district attorney — narcotics, $74,624, 5%
*Narcotics agent, $48,204, 4%
*Narcotics agent, $48,668, 5%
*Narcotics agent, $48,668, 5%
*The names of three undercover narcotics agents were withheld by the Times Leader to protect their safety due to the nature of their work.