The Butler County salary board continues to haggle over nonunion employee salaries.

The latest round occurred Monday over a proposed salary hike for the director of Butler County Community Corrections, which would give him a total 12 percent hike for 2015.

Corrections director Doug Ritson, who is in charge of adult and juvenile probation, previously received a 4 percent hike for 2015.

Under the new proposal, he would receive another 8 percent.

County Commissioner Jim Eckstein, who is on the salary board with the other two commissioners and the county controller, opposes the raise despite thinking Ritson deserves a higher pay.

Eckstein accused the other two commissioners of handpicking certain workers for extra raises without addressing the overall issue of which employees are underpaid and which are overpaid.

He stressed his pleas for freezing the salaries of those who are overpaid according to a salary study have been ignored.

Eckstein pointed out Chief Public Defender Kevin Flaherty is the only nonunion employee to not receive an increase in 2015, which he volunteered to do.

“That’s pretty pitiful,” Eckstein said. “That’s not good government.”

According to county records, Ritson was paid an annual salary of $72,600 in 2014, $75,500 now and $81,900 if the proposed hike is approved Wednesday.

Those numbers include extra compensation the county calls longevity pay and additional salary for obtaining a master’s degree.

County President Judge Thomas Doerr, who has a salary board vote on court posts, said in an interview the raise is justified considering Ritson’s experience and a past agreement made with the salary board.

Doerr said he agreed to a prior reduction in court secretarial staff with the understanding there would be other adjustments, such as Ritson receiving a higher salary.

“The board previously agreed to do this,” Doerr said.

County Controller Ben Holland said any such agreement predates his tenure, so he doesn’t know about that.

Doerr pointed out Ritson’s salary didn’t automatically increase when Ritson obtained a master’s degree, which is county policy.

The judge said the proposed salary hike puts Ritson on par with his post and qualifications.

During the meeting, Commissioner Dale Pinkerton said the increase is included in the court’s budget.

Holland said the board faces this proposed increase because of past decision-making.

He referred to Charlie Johns being given the same base rate pay proposed for Ritson, $36.42 an hour, when he was promoted to Children and Youth Services director late last year.

“Decisions have ramifications,” Holland said.

He said in an interview that Johns’ promotion amounted to a 25 percent pay hike. Johns said the percentage was lower than that, but didn’t know the actual number offhand.

During the meeting, Eckstein agreed with Holland’s rationale that Johns received too much money when he was promoted.

“He got paid too much to start out,” Eckstein said.

Pinkerton said Eckstein was erroneous in describing Johns’ raise.

“It definitely wasn’t a mistake,” Pinkerton said.

Johns, who did not attend the meeting, said in an interview his role as CYS director brings added liability.

“I basically take responsibility for every decision made in this office,” he said.

Pinkerton said every time he and Commissioner Bill McCarrier try to address salary issues tied to the study, Holland and Eckstein block it.

“We could fix something in a heartbeat,” Pinkerton said.

He claimed some board members’ stances are based on politics.

“I’m not afraid of being re-elected,” Pinkerton said.

Pinkerton and McCarrier are not seeking another term.

Eckstein is trying to retain his seat this year.

“I don’t have to worry about getting votes,” Pinkerton said.

Eckstein took offense at Pinkerton’s comments.

“I’m certainly not a politician,” Eckstein said.

He said his goal was to a have a revenue-neutral implementation of the salary study, which includes addressing high salaries.

“I want to fix the problem at the top,” Eckstein said.

McCarrier said the board already did that in prior years by changing elected officials’ cost-of-living increases and keeping nonunion employee increases lower than those stipulated in union contracts.

After Eckstein said some county human resources staff are overpaid, Pinkerton accused Eckstein of picking on that department and human services.

“It’s a sad thing,” Pinkerton said.

He pointed out the human resources has only female employees.

Eckstein insisted he does not have a bias against women, which is proven by his previous criticism of Johns.

“Charlie Johns is not a woman,” Eckstein said.