Potter County Human Services head given pay raise, will stay

Potter County Human Services Administrator Jim Kockler was granted a substantial pay raise, to an annual salary of $70,000, on Thursday.

Commissioners Ken Wingo, John Torok and Catherine Bowers agreed to the new salary after weighing the expenses of recruiting a successor and other factors. Kockler's previous salary was $58,205.

Last month, Kockler submitted a resignation letter, informing the commissioners that he was accepting another job with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. During discussions with the board, he stated that salary was among the major factors in what he described as a "difficult decision" to move on.

After the parties negotiated the $70,000 salary, Kockler this week rescinded his resignation, pending approval of the higher pay by the county's Salary Board, consisting of the three commissioners and Treasurer Krista Miller. The board okayed the new figure on Thursday.

Commissioner Wingo, chairman of the board, said Kockler's pay is comparable to Human Services heads in McKean and Tioga counties, even though he carries more administrative responsibilities.

The commissioners also pointed out that Kockler's salary is paid from state and federal funds provided to the county to cover Human Services expenses, rather than out of the county's general fund. Most of the programs operated at Human Services, housed in the former L.L. Smith Elementary School in Roulette, are state-mandated. The county pays a small share of the overall Human Services budget.

Union contract expires

Kocker's resignation put the commissioners in an awkward position, since they are also bargaining with a labor union representing many county employees.

Endeavor News has learned that the commissioners are offering the hourly employees annual raises of between three and four percent over the next three years. The union is poised to reject the proposal, sending the issue to arbitration.

County employees are now working under terms of a labor agreement that expired on Dec. 31.