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State County Code states interim officer must receive sheriff’s pay.
Sheriff Deputy Charles Guarnieri may lose about $7,000 in pay as acting sheriff because the county solicitor says Guarnieri’s supposed to receive the sheriff’s salary by law.
This same condition didn’t apply to two other deputies who filled their row officers’ shoes – acting Prothonotary Beth Decker and acting Controller A.J. Martinelli, said Solicitor Vito DeLuca.
Guarnieri, who is paid $43,349 as chief deputy sheriff, is set to serve as interim sheriff now that Mike Savokinas has resigned from the seat. Savokinas was paid $36,562 as sheriff.
DeLuca said the state County Code says deputies who serve as acting row officers in the controller and prothonotary offices must be paid whichever salary is greater, but another section of the code says the deputy sheriff is supposed to receive the sheriff pay.
Martinelli is paid his $58,349 deputy controller salary instead of the $36,568 controller salary. He has been acting controller since former controller Maryanne Petrilla became a county commissioner in January 2008.
Decker has been acting prothonotary since March, when former prothonotary Jill Moran resigned from the seat because of an agreement with federal prosecutors connected with the county public corruption investigation.
Pay wasn’t as much of an issue in that instance because Decker received $36,050 as deputy, which is $512 less than Moran’s pay.
Guarnieri could not be reached for comment Thursday on several attempts.
DeLuca said the county can’t notify Guarnieri of the pay change until he takes an oath of office to serve as acting sheriff. He said he and county officials have had difficulty getting in touch with Guarnieri.
Savokinas sent a letter to Gov. Ed Rendell notifying him of his resignation Tuesday.
Rendell could appoint an interim sheriff, but Savokinas specifically requested that the governor keep the seat open until the next election cycle and allow Guarnieri to run for the office.
Savokinas’ term doesn’t expire until the end of 2011.