Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger's proposal to increase the pay for legal interns met resistance at Monday's salary board meeting.

Commissioner James Kennedy said he couldn't support the suggested pay increase for the three posts from $10 to $15 an hour.

"That's a 50 percent increase," he said. "We don't have the money here."

Under the proposal, the maximum hours worked also would increase from 300 to 500 hours.

County Controller Jack McMillin estimated the proposed increase costing $25,000 annually.

"I'm more than upset by this," Kennedy said.

Tom Holman, deputy court administrator, spoke on behalf of Goldinger, who could not attend the meeting.

He said certified legal interns are third-year law students, typically from Duquesne University or the University of Pittsburgh, who are able to handle some of the office's workload.

Holman pointed out the interns don't receive benefits.

McMillin, who is a salary board member along with the county commissioners, also questioned the proposed pay hike.

He said interns view jobs as a resume builder.

"My interns always accepted low pay," McMillin said.

Commissioner Jim Lokhaiser said he understood Goldinger wanting to attract qualified students so as not to get the "scrap lumber."

Bill O'Donnell, chief county clerk, said the district attorney's office must compete with Pittsburgh law firms to draw interns.

Kennedy wasn't satisfied with any explanations for the proposal.

He suggested Goldinger use any available money for the interns to pay part of his own $150,000 salary.

Kennedy stressed the state never lived up to its part of the bargain when it mandated a pay hike for district attorneys several years ago while promising to offset part of that increase.

The salary board is set to vote on the proposal Wednesday.