Cortland Standard .net

Cortland County legislators have mixed feelings after learning $50,000 has been added as a suggested salary increase for the next county administrator. The increase would boost the maximum salary for the post to $160,000 a year.
The proposed salary increase was included in the tentative 2015 county budget released Wednesday.
Legislator John Troy (D-LD1) said the Legislature did need to raise the salary from what it was, but the tentative figure seems to be too much.
“Obviously, you don’t want to cheap out .... you want to attract a quality administrator,” Troy said in a telephone interview Friday afternoon. “When you offer a low salary, you don’t attract quality people than you do with a higher salary.”
Instead, Troy suggested a more moderate pay increase that would put the salary at between $120,000 and $125,000.
“I think (that) to me is really reasonable for the size of our county,” he said. “I think we can get a quality person (for that price).”
Legislator Newell Willcox (R-Homer) said he is surprised about the salary increase because it has never been suggested before and he does not understand the motive of attracting a more qualified person.
“Well that’s always the old gag,” Willcox said Friday. “Why not make it $70,000 or $100,000 more and really get aslammer.”
Other legislators were concerned the original salary of $110,000 would not be enough to entice a person to move to Cortland County and become the new administrator. Some said they were more open to a significant pay increase.
Legislator Mary Ann Discenza (D-LD6) admitted the $50,000 hike was a lot but said she was concerned about getting the most qualified person for the job.
“(We need) something to attract a qualified candidate,” Discenza said Friday afternoon. “I think we have to be competitive with the salary.”
Legislator Raylynn Knolls (D-LD7) said she was fine with the increase because it is hard to attract anyone to the county because it is remote and bigger counties are paying more.
“(We need) to make sure we get someone who is definitely qualified and has all of the education and experience we like,” Knolls said. “Unfortunately, there has to be some additional incentive to get people to come to Cortland County.”
Knolls said that people are mostly attracted to come to Cortland because there is a college and any “big shopping” is done in Ithaca or Syracuse.
Legislator Kevin Whitney (R-Cortlandville) said the money added to the budget line is not a guarantee that a new administrator would get a higher salary.
“It’s just providing an opportunity .... if (the Legislature) finds a candidate, (they) may require a greater salary,” Whitney said in a telephone interview Friday afternoon. “Until we start the (hiring) process, it’s hard to say what (salary) would be fair.”