Salaries for Butler County nonunion jobs continue to be tweaked.

The county salary board, which sets salaries for 146 nonunion posts, Wednesday adopted pay grade ranges for job categories and changed the ranges for seven other posts.

The board set ranges as recommended by the Archer Company for deputy coroners at pay grade 5, or $17.97 to $25.16 an hour; law clerks at pay grade 7, or $20.40 an hour to $25.86 an hour; registered nurses at pay grade 7 at $20.40 to $28.56 an hour; and chief deputy investigator at pay grade 9, or $22.83 to $31.96 an hour.

The salary board voted 3-1 to approve the ranges. The three county commissioners voted in the majority while county Controller Ben Holland dissented.

Holland said Archer recommends pay ranges without providing a rationale for the numbers.

“Give me some understanding, some kind of justification,” he said.

County Commissioner Leslie Osche, board chairman, said consideration of future designations should include more information, but there is nothing more for these recommendations.

“Right now, this is what we got to go on,” Osche said.

Holland said the lack of information affects his vote.

“As far as Archer goes, I have quite a level of distrust,” he said.

Commissioner Kevin Boozel said distrust was too strong a word, but agreed there was insufficient support.

“I agree there has to be some backup,” Boozel said.

The salary board also approved bumping up seven posts on the pay scale.

The family court administrator moves from grade 13 with a $57,582 to $80,614 range to grade 14 with a $60,107 to $84,149 range.

The deputy director of Domestic Relations goes from grade 11 with a range of $52,532 to $73,544 to grade 12 with a range of $55,057 to $77,079.

The family court solicitor for Domestic Relations rises from grade 10 with a range of $50,007 to $70,010 to grade 11 at $52,532 to $73,544.

The Domestic Relations conference officer increases from grade 7 at $42,432 to $59,505 to grade 8 at $44,957 to $62,940.

Both the First Deputy Prothonotary and the Criminal Justice Advisory Board grant writer/criminal justice planner go from grade 6 at $39,907 to $55,870 to grade 7 at $42,432 to $59,505.

Lastly, the payroll administrator rises from grade 5 at $37,382 to $52,335 to grade 6 at $39,907 to $55,870.

Commissioner Kim Geyer stressed any concerns about the setting of salaries for nonunion workers will be addressed.

“This policy isn't going to be the end-all,” Geyer said.

Holland also opposed the pay grade elevations.

“We put in a floor,” he said. “We put in a ceiling. People have to live with that.”

County President Judge Thomas Doerr, who gets a salary board vote on court-related posts, previously withdrew a proposed change to hiring policy for court-related jobs.

The intent of the proposal was to fill posts at the same salary being paid to those who leave rather than be forced to hire at the bottom of the pay range.

In a letter to the salary board, Doerr explained he was willing to discuss other options to address salary issues.

Most of the county's jobs, 498, are union, so those salaries are set by contracts.