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Committee reviews separation of benefits and pension administrator job specifications
Summary
New Castle County Administrative Finance Committee reviewed an ordinance to separate combined job specifications into two roles — benefits administrator and pension administrator — with HR saying both will remain at pay grade 30 and no fiscal impact was identified; the ordinance will go to the council for a vote this evening.
The New Castle County Administrative Finance Committee reviewed an ordinance to split a combined job specification into two distinct positions: benefits administrator and pension administrator. Patricia Purnell, human resources manager for New Castle County government, told the committee the change updates classification and reporting lines and identifies separate responsibilities for the two roles.
Purnell said both positions are assigned to pay grade 30 and that the change, as drafted, carries no discernible fiscal impact. "Both of these positions will remain in the classification as indicated on the job specs and also by the ordinance ... which is pay grade 30," she said.
The committee heard that the Office of Human Resources and the Human Resources Advisory Board reviewed and recommended the revised class specifications and that the county's chief human resources officer, Dusty Blakey, concurs with the recommendation. Purnell described the intent as aligning job specifications with the administrative structure created when the pension administrator position was placed under the Department of Finance while the benefits administrator remained in Human Resources.
Councilman John Cartier, chairing the meeting, read the ordinance (25-031) into the record for review. Purnell answered clarification questions from members of the committee and said supporting documents submitted to the board included the revised class specifications.
Councilman Street, speaking during committee discussion, described the personnel changes as part of efforts to correct prior personnel disputes and said he hopes the realignment will resolve those issues. "I hope that this expedition to straighten out what it is they wanna do, and that that situation that transpired in a significant way during the last administration goes the hell away," Street said.
No formal committee vote on the ordinance was recorded in the transcript of this meeting; committee members stated the ordinance will appear on the council meeting agenda for a vote later the same evening. The committee also received a public statement from Purnell clarifying the classification changes and the review history with HRAB and the chief HR officer.
The committee discussion distinguished the administrative review and HR concurrence from a final legislative action: committee members reviewed the ordinance and accepted the HR presentation, and the legislative vote was scheduled to occur at the full council meeting later in the day.
