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County employees urge legislators to protect pay as staffing shortages strain services
Summary
Paramedics, highway workers, social-service supervisors and CSEA leaders told the legislature that recruitment and retention are worsening and asked legislators not to target employee pay for budget savings; speakers cited staffing declines and regional wage gaps.
Multiple county employees and union representatives used the second privilege of the floor to urge the legislature to avoid cuts to compensation and to invest in workforce retention.
Paramedic Samantha Stokes said the county-run EMS model and a union job with a pension improved stability but warned qualified EMTs and paramedics are scarce and CCEMS is losing providers to agencies paying higher starting wages (she cited regional starting rates around $32 per hour). Stokes said many CCEMS staff must work two or three jobs to support their families, increasing turnover and coverage gaps.
Travis Weese of the Department of Public Facilities told the legislature the Highway Division workforce shrank from roughly 261 employees in 2002 to about 112 today, leaving fewer people to maintain 550 miles of county roads and more than 7,000 signs. Weese said reducing compensation would worsen recruitment and retention and hurt emergency response, winter operations and routine maintenance.
Corey Maxson, a Child Protective Services supervisor, described high caseloads above state recommendations and lengthy training periods for new hires, and he urged legislators to treat employees as people who deliver essential services rather than as a budget line.
Don Williams, president of CSEA Unit 6300 representing about 900 county employees, cited an internal salary comparison showing many Chautauqua County positions lag neighboring counties (example given: case managers starting near $24/hr compared with more than $30/hr elsewhere) and asked the legislature to focus on solutions rather than using the workforce as a political talking point.
Speakers asked the legislature to maintain competitive pay, continue the recently negotiated contract improvements, and consult with department leaders before pursuing any compensation reductions. The meeting record shows the legislature took public comment but did not vote on pay policy at this session.
Ending: Legislators acknowledged the comments; several said they would bring staffing and compensation concerns to committee work and budget deliberations.
