Butler County nonunion workers are receiving a one-time payment equal to 2 percent of their salary.

The county salary board on Wednesday approved paying $149,527 to roughly 150 nonunion workers.

County Commissioner Leslie Osche, board chairman, said the move was made due to nonunion employees not getting a raise this year.

“This is a one-time stipend in lieu of the 2016 raise,” Osche said.

She explained the county could afford paying a stipend because it does not have a compounding affect on wages.

The board voted 2 to 1 with 1 abstention for the stipend. Commissioner Kim Geyer sided with Osche while Commissioner Kevin Boozel dissented.

Boozel said he preferred using the money for raises.

“It’s sort of a slippery slope,” he said.

Boozel said raises would solve any salary disparities between nonunion supervisors and union subordinates.

“It would serve the employees better,” he said.

Osche said the board would be reviewing possible salary adjustments for 2017.

Deputy Controller Lisa Hoffman abstained from voting.

County solicitor Mike English said in an interview two votes were sufficient to pass the motion because only three members voted.

Controller Ben Holland, who was absent to attend a conference, said in a phone interview he did not want Hoffman put in a bad position by voting on a motion that affects her salary.

Holland said he might have supported the move if he had attended the meeting.

“The only reason I would have supported it is it’s not a raise,” he said.

Holland agreed with Osche that the key is the stipend does not permanently increase salaries — a possibility to be considered later.

“This doesn’t increase their pay,” he said. “It buys the board some time.”

Most years, nonunion employees have received what the county terms a cost-of-living adjustment.

A 2 percent COLA was given to nonunion employees in 2015.

In recent years, the nonunion COLA was lower than union-mandated pay hikes.

County row officers and department heads have repeatedly voiced concern over nonunion staff earning less money than the union workers under their supervision.

Osche previously credited nonunion staff for helping trim the 2016 budget, citing that as part of the reason to give a stipend.