Bucks County salary board tables sheriff pay-grade changes, approves staffing and salary-cap adjustments

The Bucks County Salary Board on Jan. 8 tabled proposed labor-grade changes for deputy sheriffs and approved a series of staffing and salary-cap adjustments across multiple departments.

County Attorney Greaser told the board it had met in an executive session before the public meeting "under section 708(d) to discuss, to receive legal advice related to potential litigation," and the board moved to delay action on the sheriff's request until counsel could provide further legal guidance.

The tabled request came from Sheriff Mike Fransell, who asked the board to raise the labor grade for deputy sheriffs, saying deputies had taken on additional responsibilities and were working without a contract "as of midnight on December 31." Fransell said the department is newly state-accredited and nearing national accreditation and argued the change would help retain deputies. The board's motion to table the sheriff's items 1 through 6 passed; one member abstained and the board directed staff to obtain further legal opinions before resuming the matter.

Separately, the board approved reactivating the solicitor for the Tax Claim Bureau. First Deputy Treasurer Nielsen told the board the office is seeking to "reactivate the solicitor for the tax claim bureau" after the position had been removed from the manning table previously; the motion was made and seconded and the board voted in favor.

The board also approved four public-defender staffing items the office presented. The public defender asked the board to eliminate a chief deputy position and one assistant position and to create two deputy public defender positions to provide a clearer promotion ladder and improve attorney retention. The public defender said changing the structure would be "essentially county neutral as far as costs go." Commissioners approved those items; the board clerk recorded the vote as 5-0.

Human Services requested an increase to the salary cap for the hub human services coordinator position to reflect expanded duties. Yvonne Kavalski, the county's community engagement officer who oversees the hub, told the board the coordinator now supervises resource navigators and university interns, co-supervises the veterans court social worker, supports Compass community partner activities, manages the county's SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery) outreach work and coordinates a housing-week intake point. Since the hub's launch, Kavalski said, it has handled more than 8,000 inquiries and connections to providers. The board approved the item with the cap set at $71,000; the position will be funded from the Human Services Development Interagency Coordination Funds and the County General Fund.

Chief Park Ranger and police-training office requests also passed. Mr. Rivona asked that the chief park ranger be reclassified as a department head and that the salary cap for the police-training office manager be adjusted to align with comparable emergency-management positions; the board approved both items.

The board concluded by noting the sheriff's pay-grade matter is tabled pending the requested legal review. The meeting adjourned after members voted to close the session.