All of Butler County’s 173 nonunion employees will be getting 3 percent pay hikes after all.

The new county salary board on Wednesday gave the 3 percent increase for 2014 after it was denied in a Dec. 18 vote.

New county Controller Ben Holland sided with commissioners Bill McCarrier and Dale Pinkerton to award the increase.

In the Dec. 18 vote, former Controller Jack McMillin joined Commissioner Jim Eckstein in opposing the motion. Eckstein on Wednesday repeated his December vote.

The increase matches the raise given to county union workers under their respective contracts.

Holland said he couldn’t differentiate between employees.

“We have to get every one on the same page,” he said.

Eckstein unsuccessfully tried to lower the increase to 1.5 percent, so it would match the cost-of-living increase allotted to Social Security recipients this year.

“This status quo must stop,” he said.

Eckstein claimed there was no money in the 2014 budget to accommodate the pay hikes.

“I cannot find the money,” he said. “I think we don’t have the money.”

But McCarrier, board chairman, disagreed: “The money is in the budget.”

Eckstein said the cost to give all nonunion workers the 3 percent would be $300,000.

However, Holland pointed out the actual amount would be $248,000.

At the Dec. 18 meeting, three county row officers — Sheriff Mike Slupe, District Attorney Richard Goldinger and Treasurer Diane Marburger — insisted on separate votes for their offices to ensure their five nonunion employees received the 3 percent increase.

For the same reason, the other five row officers, county President Judge Thomas Doerr and Chief Public Defender Kevin Flaherty attended the meeting Wednesday to guarantee their employees also received the 3 percent.

Row officers, the president judge and chief public defender are entitled to salary board votes affecting their respective employees.

Eckstein only supported the increase for the controller’s and coroner’s offices, saying those employees were underpaid.

He insisted the county was premature in awarding the increase considering a salary study was completed.

McCarrier said the study, which the county received Tuesday, would be reviewed for possible salary changes.

“We’re going to address it,” he said.

McCarrier said he hadn’t even read the study as of Wednesday morning.

Eckstein said he was working with data from a prior briefing about the study given to county officials.

Pinkerton agreed with McCarrier that the study would be analyzed.

“We are going to use it as an instrument,” Pinkerton said.

During the public comment period, county prison Capt. Michael Rychorcewicz pointed out shift commanders’ workloads have increased in the past few years while their salaries have not increased as much as their subordinates have.

Rychorcewicz argued the 3 percent is a cost-of-living increase, not a raise.

However, Holland said at least some of the 3 percent would be considered a raise when compared to the 1.5 percent COLA given under Social Security.

Carmine Scotece, director of county Human Services, said his management staff also deserved the full increase.

Eckstein said he sympathized with Scotece, saying Scotece is one of the underpaid people, but there are too many employees who are overpaid.

“Favoritism is rampant around here,” Eckstein said.

He said the secretaries in the commissioners office, including his administrative assistant, Margaret Abersold, are overpaid.

“She knows she’s overpaid,” Eckstein said.

McCarrier disagreed, saying his administrative assistant, Kim Geyer, deserves her salary.

“I don’t have a secretary,” he said. “I have an administrative assistant.”

McCarrier said Geyer has more responsibilities than a secretary would.

“She’s certainly worth what she’s paid,” he said.

County officials criticized Eckstein for distributing a sheet listing erroneous employee salaries.

Geyer said Eckstein did not incorporate those employees’ longevity increases, which raises the actual salary.

“Unfortunately, this misled employees,” Geyer said.

Pinkerton accused Eckstein of creating turmoil.

“He has really caused a tremendous amount of disruption among our employees,” Pinkerton said.

Eckstein reiterated that Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphans’ Court Judy Moser didn’t participate in the salary study, which showed one of her staff members is overpaid.

Moser later refuted Eckstein’s comments.

“That’s totally false,” she said in an interview. “We did participate.”

However, Moser said a questionnaire used wasn’t compatible with the duties of her dual office so it could not be completed.

She said the questions, such as how long do workers sit and stand, was more suited to a corporate environment than the legal work her staff does.

“It just doesn’t fit,” Moser said.

Moser stressed detailed job descriptions were provided for the study, but were not used.

She also said her office saves money by having one first deputy and a second deputy instead of two first deputies, which she is legally entitled to because of her dual office.