The Palmyra (Wayne) Auditors and Board of Supervisors are not seeing eye to eye again after the Auditors lowered the Roadmaster’s pay by more than 37 percent.
The Auditors announced they were lowering the pay of Roadmaster and working Supervisor Joe Kmetz from $16.50 to $10 per hour. The announcement drew sharp criticism from the other two Supervisors.
Auditor Chairman Jamie Mason Clark said they set the salary based on charts from the PA State Association of Townships (PSAT) Salary Survey. She explained they compared the salary with other townships in Pennsylvania with the same population. She said the average was $7.50 per hour and they set Palmyra’s salary at $10 per hour.
She added they thought it prudent in these economic times to try and cut costs.
She said that all Township workers should be considered equal and should not get different salaries.
Mason Clark noted that three boards in the Township had sent a letter last year asking that the Roadmaster post his work schedule in the office so everyone will know what he will be doing. She said this request for accountability had been ignored. She said they took that into account as well.
Chairman Supervisor Pete Steffen said, “This is a travesty and a malicious act” against Kmetz, indicating he thought the reduction was done to get back at Kmetz for other issues.
Steffen said the code required the Auditors to set the salary in accordance with salaries in townships in the same area of their own. He asked Mason Clark if the Auditors used the same information to set salaries in 2006 when the Auditors increased the Roadmaster’s salary and again last year when the salary was kept at $16.50. He asked what changed to warrant a 37.5 percent cut in the salary.
Solicitor Jeffrey Treat said the Supervisors had no power of the Auditors.Treat added he would recommend Kmetz see a private attorney to take action against the Auditors. He said he could not see how the Auditors could defend their decision in court.
