(Editor’s note: This is part one of a two-part series on McKean
County finances and salaries since The New Directions Team was
voted into office. Part II will appear in Tuesday’s edition of The
Era.)

SMETHPORT – Since the “New Directions” commissioners took office
three years ago with the promise to run the county like a business,
they have created 25 new positions, at least 16 of whichðcan be
considered management positions.

Figures provided by county administration last week show the
total cost of those positions, including salaries and benefits, at
$1,273,705.77, but that cost is not entirely paid for by local
taxes.

With the complicated system of state and federal reimbursements
and other funding, especially in the social services fields, the
direct costs to the county are $797,590.73, or about 63 percent of
the total.

The commissioners also point out that 10 positions, some of them
part-time, have been eliminated, at a savings they compute at
$337,035.25.

That would make the increased staffing costs, $460,555.48.ðSome
measure of the changes in staffing may be seen by noting that
salaries of the 25 new positions total $974,219.65, while those of
the 10 eliminated jobs are only $232,748.68.

Comparing costs is also complicated because of reimbursements
and because about a half-dozen of the new hires do not get
county-supplied medical benefits, a major employee expense.

For those new employees who do get medical insurance through the
county, the rates range from one low at $498.17 to several at
$996.04 on up to four at $7,771.74 andðeight who get full family
coverage costing $17,869.82 per year.

All employees get life insurance at an annual cost of $132, and
all are covered by Workers Compensationðwith costs ranging from
under $100 for some to over $2,000 for the security officer and the
prison wardens.

Individual total costs in the following list include those
costs, plus the county’s contribution to Social Security for
each.

Also to be noted is that 15 of the 25 positions are totally
funded by the county, with the other 10 reimbursed from other
sources at rates of 80 to 90 percent, with the director of human
services reimbursed at a complicated variable rate.

Heading the list of new hires is the county administrator. Dick
Casey getsða salary this year of $87,942; he gets no medical
benefits, and the total cost to the county is listed at $95,311.
That cost has been somewhat offset for the past three years by the
commissioners taking only a portion of their salary, but that will
end after this year.

Next on the list of total costs is Finance Director Dustin
Laurie with a salary of $54,964 and a total cost of $68,085.

More complicated is the human resources director, whose salary
is $41,222 as a “new hire,” but Michele Alfieri also receives
$41,222 as head of legal services, or solicitor, approximately what
the previous solicitor got.

Previously, the appointed solicitor, who was classified as
part-time, was funded 55.38 percent from the commissioners and
44.62 from Children and Youth Services, but a new position of
solicitor for the Department of Human Services now handles CYS
matters.

Alfieri’sðtotal cost as a new hire is listed as $53,537,
withðmedical insurance costs apparently split between the two
positions.

In the new human resources department, the representative who
deals directly with employees gets a salary of $30,885 and costs
$51,502.

The economic development director earns $46,355 and is fully
funded by the county at a cost of $68,420.

The salary for the recycling coordinator is listed at $30,885,
with a total cost of $41,534.

Other new positions, in no particular order, include the warden
at what is now called the county prison, with a salary of $51,501
and a total cost of $75,783.

Also at the prison is a deputy warden, with a salary of $42,224,
for a total of $48,571.

A prison administrative assistant gets $21,294 and a nurse
$32,136, for costs of $24,260 and $44,835. In a position presently
not filled, a life skills instructor will tentatively get $25,000,
with an estimated cost of $28,438.

The added courthouse security officer is salaried at $29,973,
with a total county cost of $34,586.

In the reorganized Conservation District, the manager has a
salary ofð$36,054, but only 15 percent is paid by the county, so
the cost to the county is listed as $7,071. Also in the
Conservation District office is a watershed specialist with a
salaryðof $32,960, atða cost to the county of $8,082. A resource
conservation technician also gets $32,960, but costs $6,665,
according to the figures provided.

In the new Department of Human Services, the director earns
$71,490, but costs the county $24,705.

The mental health director has a salary listed at $36,072, with
county costs of $4,038.

The mental retardation director gets $42,679 and costs
$6,443.

A fiscal technician in DHS earns $26,793 but costs the county
$3698.

The solicitor recently appointed for the department is salaried
at $75,000, but ends up costing the county $17,911.

Still vacant is a CASSP coordinator position with a tentative
salary of $25,000.

In Children and Youth Services, an executive administrative
assistant was added with a salary of $34,135 and total county costs
of $7,431.

An information technology systems specialist was added with a
salary of $28,847, with total employment costs of $32,546.

Also added to replace the court reporter was a court service
technician at $19,838, and costing $21,690; another will be hired
with that salary listed at $18,000.

Part II of this series will give the county administration’s
explanation of what we are getting for our money.