Personnel and Compensation Committee approves pay increases, new positions and college hiring rule changes

Orange CountyPersonnel and Compensation Committee on Feb. 20 approved a series of personnel actions that raised pay for per-diem deputies and health staff, created grant-funded coordinator and clerical positions, and amended college hiring limits for short-term workers.

The committee said the moves are intended to address recruitment and retention problems cited by multiple departments: the sheriffs office to attract per-diem deputies; the health department to refill public health nurse and licensed practical nurse (LPN) positions; social services to staff a state-funded family-centered case management program; and other offices to support operations already included in the 2025 budget.

Committee members approved each request by voice vote. Key actions included: an increase in the starting hourly rate for per-diem deputy sheriffs from $25.51 to $32.46; reclassification and higher starting steps for public health nurses and LPNs; creation of a grants coordinator funded by the CDC Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG); and creation of an account clerk for a state-funded family case management program with an amendment that the position be abolished if the funding ends.

Votes at a glance

- Request 033: Increase starting hourly rate for per-diem deputy sheriffs from $25.51 to $32.46 to remain competitive with surrounding law enforcement agencies. Motion moved by Benton; seconded by Sierra. Outcome: approved by voice vote.

- Request 048 (part A): Authorize upgrading public health nurse positions from grade 14 to grade 16 and hire at step 5 (proposed hourly increase from $42.53 to $49.81 when deemed necessary). Committee approved after discussion of recruitment difficulties and departures since 02/2022. Outcome: approved by voice vote.

- Request 048 (part B): Authorize hiring licensed practical nurses (LPNs) at step 5 (proposed hourly change from $25.12 to $29.16 when deemed necessary). Committee approved. Outcome: approved by voice vote.

- Request 041: Create one account clerk (grade 6) to support a family-centered case management program funded through a state budget allocation (no local funds). Committee amended the motion to state the position will be abolished upon termination of the funding; motion as amended approved. Committee received testimony that the program currently has funding just under $500,000 per year and that the county averaged 112 families per month in hotels last year.

- Request 031: Create one health department grants coordinator (grade 13), a stipulated position contingent on continued funding from the Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG). Committee was told the PHIG allocation to Orange County totals $923,704 over a five-year period; the position is contingent on continued grant funding and would be terminated if the grant ends. Outcome: approved by voice vote.

- Request 035: Create one horticultural assistant (grade 8, $25.12/hr) for the Orange County Arboretum; position included in the approved 2025 operating budget. Outcome: approved by voice vote.

- Request 019: Create two additional principal clerk (grade 7) positions in probation, fund an existing principal position, and abolish two typist-two positions as they become vacant; funds to come from the existing budget. The probation director said Goshen front-desk operations handle more than 5,000 cases per year and the reclassification will address sustained workload differences. Outcome: approved by voice vote.

- College items (Request 316/317 and related): The committee approved an amendment to Act 23 of 1992 affecting college temporary/auxiliary employees: replace the annual 520-hour cap with a limit of no more than 19 hours per week and allow starting pay up to $3 above the prevailing minimum wage. The committee also approved multiple position creations included in the colleges 2025 budget: a grounds maintenance worker (grade 6, $21.83/hr; $45,425.33 annually) and a principal payroll clerk (grade 9, $25.37/hr; $52,007.72 annually). Committee members noted that these college positions were already included in the approved budget and that some titles were housekeeping to align with anticipated retirements and an HR/payroll system replacement. Outcomes: all approved by voice vote.

Why it matters

Committee members and departmental leaders described chronic staffing gaps that limit services: the health department has struggled to recruit nurses since 2022 and has been unable to fully staff immunization clinics and a mobile health bus because of vacancies; social services reported high hotel shelter use and said the new case-management program will provide contracted employment, housing and mental-health supports to families living in motels and hotels; the probation office cited high front-desk workloads that require upgraded clerical capacity; and the sheriffs office said higher per-diem pay is needed to recruit deputies in a tight labor market.

Discussion highlights and caveats

- Health staffing: Speakers said some turnover followed retirements after COVID and that hospitals and some nonprofit employers pay substantially more, which limits the countys ability to compete. Officials said a mix of approaches is being explored, including per-diem contracts and part-time hires.

- Grants and contingency: The grants coordinator and several positions were explicitly contingent on continued outside funding; the committee adopted an amendment for the family case-management clerk to be abolished if funding ends.

- College rule change: Committee members asked about benefits eligibility and agreed that the 19-hour-per-week cap was chosen to avoid triggering benefits; the change was described as increasing flexibility for short-term auxiliary hires.

Whats next

Several actions are contingent on administrative steps (e.g., hiring at authorized steps when deemed necessary by the commissioner of human resources) or on continued grant funding. Departments will proceed with recruitment and staffing under the approved authorizations.

Ending

All motions were approved by voice vote at the Feb. 20 meeting. Specific hiring, classification and pay changes will be implemented by departments subject to the stated contingencies and budgetary conditions.