Not reporting time off defended

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.comLuzerne County Reporter

Several Luzerne County row officers say they don’t want to start reporting their deputies’ time off to payroll if it would entitle the deputies to compensation for unused vacation and sick time when they leave.

“I don’t want to create a benefit that’s never existed. I don’t think that’s fair to taxpayers,” said Clerk of Courts Bob Reilly.

Reilly said he’d be willing to post in his office the vacation and sick days taken by clerk of courts deputy Tom Pizano so the public could monitor them.

“It’s not something I’m trying to keep from the public,” Reilly said.

Register of Wills Dottie Stankovic agreed, saying her deputy, Don Williamson, never expected compensation for unused days. He would end up being entitled to thousands of dollars in buy-back if his time were tracked by payroll because he rarely takes vacation or sick days, she said.

“He’s a dedicated worker. I keep telling him to go do something, to go somewhere, but he just loves his work,” Stankovic said.

Deputy Treasurer Dominick DePolo said he will report his time to anyone but doesn’t want to receive payment for unused time.

“I don’t care about cashing in my unused time. I know I won’t seek it,” DePolo said.

Sheriff Mike Savokinas said his two deputies – Charles Guarnieri and Carl Zawatski – don’t want to sell back their unused time.

“The county is talking about saving money, but buying back all this unused time is not saving money,” Savokinas said. “I’d have no problem hanging their time up on the wall in my office if people want to check the hours they’re taking.”

Row officers were asked last week to meet and form a consensus on whether they are going to track and report their time to payroll in compliance with the county’s personnel policy.

Reilly said he will set up a meeting in the near future.

County commissioners implemented the time policy for 500 or so non-union/management employees in 2005.

Under county policy, managers and other non-union workers are paid $50 per unused sick day up to a maximum of 60 days and are paid their full hourly rate for unused vacation days, which are capped at 20 days, plus whatever days the manager is due in the year they retire.

While time-tracking for deputies is at issue, several row offices have been honoring the county policy for other non-union workers, including employees in the treasurer’s and recorder of deeds’ offices. These workers would then be eligible to sell back unused time.

The time-tracking issue recently came to the forefront after questions arose about Savokinas’ failure to report to county payroll about two weeks of vacation time taken by Guarnieri, chief deputy sheriff.

Jennifer Learn-Andes, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 831-7333.