Commissioners hire chief of staff
The Washington County board of commissioners hired a chief of staff Monday for a new $95,000-a-year position.
John Haynes, 45, grew up in Wilmerding and is now living in Washington.
Formerly managing director of iNetworks, a private equity firm in Pittsburgh, he is a 1996 graduate of Penn State University who majored in political science.
Commission Chairwoman Diana Irey Vaughan introduced Haynes at an agenda-setting meeting convened 30 minutes after the recess of the county salary board, which includes the three commissioners and Controller Michael Namie, whose members approved the position.
“I have been working with Diana for a couple of years,” Haynes said. “I’m going to follow Diana Irey Vaughan’s lead and serve at the pleasure of the board of commissioners.”
In creating the chief-of-staff position, the salary board did not abolish the director of administration’s position of Scott Fergus, an attorney and former county commissioner, who has sometimes been referred to as “the fourth commissioner” for the past 15 years.
“Scott is still technically director of administration for the county,” Irey Vaughan said. “He’s on extended leave.”
Although the commissioner said Friday she could not discuss Fergus’ condition due to privacy concerns, he was previously described as being on medical leave.
In other action, the salary board named Scott Berry temporary acting director of the Behavioral Health and Developmental Services department. He replaces Jan Taper, who retired this month as administrator after working for the county for 32 years.
Berry’s salary will be $62,629, plus a monthly stipend of $1,500 to cover his additional responsibilities.
Three newly elected row officers – Clerk of Courts Brenda Davis, Prothonotary Laura Hough and Register of Wills James Roman – asked to retain those currently employed. Treasurer Tom Flickinger, whom Irey Vaughan said was unable to attend Monday’s meeting, was represented by Deputy Treasurer Lisa Carpenter.
The newly elected row officers, all Republicans, replaced Democrats either by defeating them in the November election or winning open seats being vacated by Democrats.
There was similar turnover on the three-member board of commissioners.
At the beginning of the salary board meeting, Commissioner Larry Maggi, in his last acts as chairman, acknowledged by name members of the board with whom he has served for the past 16 years and said, “I look forward to serving with my new colleague, Nick Sherman …
“Although we are elected officials, and we go through the political process, I have tried to take politics and favoritism out of the decision-making when it came to the administration of county government.”
Sherman nominated Irey Vaughan as chairwoman, and Maggi as vice chairman of the board.
“It will be in the spirit of cooperation that we move forward,” Irey Vaughan said as she chaired the salary board meeting.
The commissioners granted raises as negotiated with unionized employees, but noted that the county has not yet reached agreements with bargaining units for assistant district attorneys and assistant public defenders, who are represented by the Teamsters Union, or court-related and court-appointed employees who are represented by Service Employees International Union Local 668.
The board also approved 3% raises for salaried employees.
At a reorganization of the county prison board, Maggi convened his last meeting as outgoing chairman.
Irey Vaughan, formerly vice chairwoman, is now chairwoman while Sherman moved into the vice chairman’s slot.