Future raises for elected officials in Westmoreland County under review

Commissioners may stop determining raises with the Consumer Price Index.

By RICH CHOLODOFSKY
TribLive

The Westmoreland County commissioners signaled Thursday they might soon overhaul the decades-old method used to calculate annual pay increases for the county’s elected officials.

A policy enacted in 1996 ties raises for elected officers to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Under this formula, these officials are slated for a 3.25% raise in 2026.

Debate over pay caps

Commissioner Ted Kopas cast the lone dissenting vote against the raises, reiterating his longstanding call to limit annual increases.

“As you know, it’s well documented I’ve been trying to bend that curve on elected officials’ raises by putting caps on it,” Kopas said. “I’ve said for years I think elected officials’ raises should be capped at 2.5%.”

Kopas stated he intends to return the portion of his 2026 salary increase that exceeds 2.5% to the county treasury.

In a shift from previous years — when they characterized Kopas’ proposals as political stunts — Commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew expressed a new receptiveness to revising the automatic raise structure.

“We will be doing something,” Kertes said. “I may not agree with Commissioner Kopas about 2.5%, but there will be some type of (change).”

Kertes suggested the county will study how neighboring jurisdictions handle elected officials’ pay to formulate a plan that could take effect when the next board is seated in 2028. Under state law, changes to the pay structure for elected officials cannot be implemented mid-term.

The cost of living formula

The 1996 mandate relies on U.S. Department of Labor data, which tracks average consumer spending on food, shelter and energy across Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey.

This formula has led to significant volatility. Since 2022, Westmoreland County’s elected officials have seen their pay jump by more than 23%.

Salary projections for the new year include:

• Commissioners: Base salaries will rise by $3,205, to $101,845.

• Row officers: The controller, coroner, clerk of courts, prothonotary, recorder of deeds, sheriff and treasurer will see their annual pay rise to more than $88,000.

• Register of wills: The annual salary is set to exceed $95,000.

• District attorney: Nicole Ziccarelli’s salary, which is set by the state Legislature, will increase by 3.3% to just under $236,000.

Staffing, nonunion contracts

The announcement of the elected officials’ raises came as the county’s salary board — composed of the three commissioners and Controller Jeffrey Balzer — approved separate 3% raises for 439 nonunion workers.

Chew defended the 3% raises for nonunion staff as a necessity for recruitment and retention.

“When Westmoreland County has two pages of personnel actions on almost every agenda, Commissioner Kopas’ method doesn’t work,” Chew said. “That’s why we don’t have enough staff in Westmoreland County.”

The nonunion increases align with raises recently granted to the county’s unionized workforce.

On Thursday, commissioners ratified:

• A four-year contract with the Westmoreland County Court Related Employees Association (242 secretaries, clerks, and deputy sheriffs).

• A three-year contract with 14 detectives in the district attorney’s office.

According to Human Resources Director Amanda Bernard, both labor deals include annual 3% raises.