While Butler County still searches for a chief of economic development, a planning department employee has received a large bump in pay.

The county on Dec. 30 paid civil engineering technician Joel Mackay an $18,886 lump sum.

County Commissioner Leslie Osche said Monday the payment was retroactive compensation for serving as the de facto planning director for 2016.

“Our hope was that we would have filled the post much sooner,” Osche said at the county salary board meeting.

Although the topic was not on the meeting agenda, Osche answered questions about it.

Mackay’s salary for 2017 was increased from $24.83 an hour to $36.34 an hour.

Osche said Mackay will have to continue in his role because there is no imminent action on filling the new post.

“We don’t have anybody to announce yet,” she said.

Osche said the rate, which is 90 percent of the planning director post salary, is set by the county’s collective bargaining agreement with the union.

Commissioner Kevin Boozel pointed out the county still saved money with the lump payment compared to what could have been spent in 2016 — the salaries for Mackay’s technician post and a planning director.

Osche said once a chief of economic development is hired, Mackay’s salary would return to its former rate.

County Controller Ben Holland said in an interview Mackay should not receive the increase retroactively or in the future.

Holland said the county should not be willing to grant a retroactive payment even if a union grievance was a possible outcome.

“My position is the county should have fought it,” he said.

Holland said the county’s chief clerk could have assumed any extra duties.

“The post, to my knowledge, does not have any supervisory responsibility,” he said. “Let it go to a grievance. Make the individual prove what they did to justify the bonus.”

Osche said in an interview Mackay previously asked for a salary adjustment.

“He requested it,” she said. “He respectfully waited for us.”

Osche said Mackay completed all the planning director assignments, such as implementing plans and working with organizations such as the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, he was assigned.

“He was willing to step up,” she said.

Holland said even if the county would lose a grievance and owe the worker back pay, there is no reason to continue paying a higher wage.

“I would have suspended those duties immediately,” he said.

Osche said it’s not feasible to transfer those duties to the chief clerk.

Dave Johnston, the last county planning director, retired at the end of 2015.

That post has been vacant since then.

Although the county salary board, which is comprised of the three commissioners and controller, in August decided to eliminate the planning director post, that move is contingent on someone being hired as chief of economic development.

Holland said the salary board should have just eliminated the planning director post at that time.

Osche said that concern could have been broached at that time.

“Hindsight is 20/20,” she said.

The chief of economic development would coordinate and stimulate economic development through internal departments and such county-related agencies as the Community Development Corporation of Butler County.