FRANKLIN, Pa. (EYT) — The Venango County Commissioners formally approved the 2018 budget, raises, and other personnel transactions at their monthly meeting on Tuesday, December 12.

BUDGET FORMALLY APPROVED

The commissioners formally approved the 2018 budget with no tax increase. County property taxes will remain at six mills and the budget is projected to be $57,632,970.00 in 2018. This represents a decrease of 1.7 percent from 2017, while the projected total revenue is projected to be $53,473,555.00 in 2018, down four percent from 2017.

See the budget story from last month.

RAISES APPROVED

The Venango County Salary Board approved 2.0 percent raises for exempt and nonexempt county salaried employees, and a 1.5 percent raise was approved for row officers except for the commissioners, who will not be receiving a raise.

HEALTH INSURANCE TO STAY THE SAME

The commissioners approved a contract with UPMC Health Plan for the health insurance for county employees. The plan, which will remain the same with no cost to employees, will have no increase in 2018 and that the maximum increase in 2019 can be no more than six percent and in 2020 no more than eight percent.

Also, a contract with Delta Dental to provide dental insurance for county employees was also ratified. That contract will see an increase in administrative fees from 14.2 percent to 14.8 percent.

PERSONNEL TRANSACTIONS

The following personnel transactions were taken:

New Hires

• Robert Hartley, Assistant Public Defender — Effective Nov. 29
• Linda Beatty, Corrections Monitor — Effective Dec. 3
• Samantha Drayer, Corrections Officer — Effective Nov. 12
• Tyler Hartley, Corrections Officer — Effective Nov. 25
• Andrew Motter, Corrections Officer — Effective Nov. 19
• Jeffrey Schneider, Ombudsman/Volunteer Program Coordinator in Older Adult Services — Effective Nov. 16

Promotions/Transfers

• Micah DeWoody in Maintenance from Maintenance Worker II to Maintenance Worker III — Effective Dec. 4
• Annie Childers from Department Clerk II in the Prothonotary’s office to Department Clerk III in Human Services — Effective Dec. 18
• Bethany Cloonan from Training Senior Program Specialist Full-time in Children & Youth Services to Program Manager — CYFS in CYS — Effective Dec. 4

Reinstatement

• Sarah Carter as a Service Coordinator I in Children & Youth services — Effective Dec. 18

Job Title Change

• Kenneth Sharpe in Maintenance from Maintenance Worker III Shared to Maintenance Worker III — Effective Nov. 20

End of Probation

• Kyle Bauer — Corrections Officer — Effective Dec. 4

Position Reallocation

• Sarah Sutch from Assistant Human Resources Director, Full-Time, 70 hours/pay, NEHR Pay Grade 9 to Assistant Human Resources Directors, Exempt Full-Time, 70 hours/pay, Exempt Pay Grade 1 with approved 2018 cost-of-living adjustment, employee meets the salary threshold and duties requirements for overtime exemption — Effective Jan. 1, 2018
• Linda Wheeling from Service Coordination Supervisor in Children & Youth Services, Full-Time, 80 hours/pay NEHR Pay Grave 9 to service Coordination Supervisor in Children & Youth Services, Exempt Full-Time, 80 hours/pay, Exempt Pay Grade 1 with approved 2018 cost-of-living adjustment, the employee meets the salary threshold and duties requirements for overtime exemption — Effective Jan. 1, 2018.

Separation of Employment

• Shani Alcorn, Corrections Officer — Effective Dec. 1
• Diane Weckerly, Program Manager — CYFS in Children & Youth Services — Effective Dec. 1
• Michael Carothers, Senior Service Coordination Supervisor in PIC Unit — Effective Nov. 30
• Katherine Speerstra, Senior service Coordinator Supervisor in PIC Unit — Effective Nov. 22

The next meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. on January 9 in Room 100 of the Courthouse Annex.