When Allegheny Township supervisors approved the 2010 budget last week, it included something that upset a few people: a salary for the emergency management coordinator.
More accurately, it was not the $10,000 salary itself that drew criticism, but the fact that most of the public did not know a salary would be attached to what had previously been a volunteer position.
"I think there should have been other people aware of what's going on," said resident Mabel Mazza.
When the township hired Lee Schumaker in October from a pool of three candidates, there was no salary in the picture. But township Manager Gregg Primm said the applicants were told that there might be a stipend or a salary connected to it in the new year.
"If people had applied, they would have known because it said right on the application: 'potential compensation,'" Primm said.
Don Nickels, Allegheny Township Fire Co. chief, argued that, if there was the possibility of financial compensation, the township could have had more qualified applicants.
"When the position of emergency management coordinator came up, why wasn't it made known that it would be a paid position?" Nickels said. "I know of at least five people who would have applied if they had known.
"Word should have gotten out to the firemen because I have at least three people in my company who are qualified for it."
Primm said when applicants were sought, the possibility of a salary was just that, a possibility.
"We had to make sure we had the money to do it and we didn't know that until I did this budget," Primm said.
The township is trying to find ways to offset the salary or get the most for its money by having Schumaker shoulder some building inspection and code enforcement duties.
"When you have someone in a paid position, you can put demands on him to get things done," Supervisor Joe Ferguson said.
Supervisors chairwoman Kathy Starr was surprised by the backlash.
"For my own part, I did not think that the paying part of it was going to be such a critical issue. I personally apologize to anyone we offended by not putting that in the ad."
