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Steuben County Council approves reclassification and $8,983 pay increase for IT/PC Safety Technician
Summary
The Steuben County Council voted 6-1 on March 12, 2019 to reclassify an I.T. PC/Safety Technician as a Special Occupation and approve an $8,983 supplemental wage to retain the employee; supporters cited retention and cost savings while critics warned of precedent and urged waiting for a classification review.
The Steuben County Council voted 6-1 on March 12, 2019 to reclassify an I.T. PC/Safety Technician as a Special Occupation (SO) and approve an $8,983 additional appropriation to raise the position’s 2019 wage.
Council President Richard Shipe brought the request, saying the adjustment is intended to retain an employee whose qualifications and duties now exceed the position’s original job description. Ken Shelton moved to approve the appropriation and the reclassification; Linda Hansen seconded. The motion passed with six ayes and one dissent from Wil Howard.
Supporters emphasized retention and demonstrated savings. “She is all about keeping qualified employees,” Linda Hansen said in support of approving the adjustment to avoid losing skilled staff. Tami Sumney, the county’s IT director, told the council that tech positions typically require special classifications because of education and technical skills and recommended a Special Occupation pay range so wages reflect individual qualifications.
Opponents urged caution about setting a precedent and about timing. “I am concerned that by doing this, the county will have even more problems with other county employee requests coming in the future,” Ruth Beer said, urging deliberation. County legal counsel Crystal Dadura recommended waiting until a pending job-description project is completed before making permanent classification changes.
Shipe and several council members said the county commissioners had already approved proceeding with the change and urged council to act to avoid losing the employee. The appropriation approved was charged to County General – Commissioners – IT (1000-068-1000.03) for $8,983, and the council also adopted Ordinance No. 922 to reflect the reclassification and revised wage schedule.
The council’s discussion and vote were procedural and limited to the internal county pay classification and funding authority; no other outside approvals were cited. The council adjourned after completing the scheduled business.
