The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

December 12, 2008

Robbins will return pay raise

By Nick Hildebrand

MERCER COUNTY AREA — State Sen. Robert D. “Bob” Robbins is among the Pennsylvania lawmakers and state officials who said they will return a 2.8 percent cost- of-living increase.

Robbins, who as Caucus Secretary is a member of the Senate Republican leadership, was among the legislators who announced early on they would return the automatic raise in light of the state’s dire financial state.

Pennsylvania is looking at a $1.6 billion deficit because of reduced tax revenues. Gov. Ed Rendell, members of his cabinet and House and Senate party leaders have pledged to return their raises to the state’s treasury.

State Rep. Michele Brooks, Jamestown, R-17th District, has said she would return the raise. Reps. Mark Longietti, Farrell, D-7th District, and Dick Stevenson, Grove City, R-8th District, said they will keep the money.

Calls earlier this week to Robbins’ office and Salem Township home were not returned. On Friday, the pay raise return was the subject of a Herald editorial that cited the lack of a call-back from the senator, whose 50th District includes all of Mercer County.

In an e-mail Friday, Carol Maravic, director of the Senate Republican Communications Office, brought to The Herald’s attention a Dec. 3 news release about the leadership’s decision to return their pay raises. The news release wasn’t available on Robbins’ Senate Web site.

State employees can’t refuse the raises. They must return the money to the state after they are paid and they remain responsible for any taxes on the income.

On top of a base salary of $78,314, Robbins earns an additional $10,985 a year as caucus secretary, according to W. Russell Faber, chief clerk of the Senate.

Text Only
Local News
  • pension graphic Pension bomb ticking for city

    The city of Sharon pays more people who don’t work there anymore than folks who still do.

    And the amount of money the city must pay to the retirees is going up about $250,000 next year, a hike that creates more problems for the cash-strapped town, City Manager Scott Andrejchak said.

    May 26, 2012 1 Photo

  • Church softball league to Mormons: You’re out!

    The Grove City Area Church Softball League’s decision to exclude a Mormon team from Slippery Rock has sparked a controversy far beyond the local sandlot.

    May 26, 2012

  • Fired bus driver files lawsuit

    A Mercer County woman fired from her job as a school bus driver over a 25-year-old drug conviction filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against a state education official and Jamestown Area School District.

    May 26, 2012

  • Recycling program a bit too popular

    The  county’s effort at going green by encouraging recycling in rural areas has been a tremendous success by most accounts, but isn’t without a few glitches. In Wilmington Township, residents often only have a window of a few minutes to get cardboard recyclables in before the bin is full, prompting a discussion among Mercer County Commissioners Wednesday morning.

    May 25, 2012

  • District will tap reserve fund

    Reynolds school directors plan to fill a $374,567 hole in the 2012-2013 budget with money from the district’s fund balance.

    May 25, 2012

  • School board mulls change to sports chaperone policy

    In order to comply with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, the Sharpsville Area School Board is looking to adjust a chaperone policy it implemented six months ago.

    May 25, 2012

  • Afternoon crash hurts 3 high school students

    Three Jamestown High School students were injured – one seriously – when their pickup left a roadway in southwest Crawford County and crashed into a tree Tuesday afternoon.

    May 24, 2012

  • Board sells some, holds some

    Brookfield Board of Education members voted Tuesday to accept only the bids for the elementary school and the middle school, for a total of $97,050.
    The decision came after an hour-long executive session.

    May 24, 2012

  • Levey: Kohl’s project died with school vote

    Stripped of the necessity of voting for a tax incremental finance plan by Hermitage School Board’s unwillingness to participate, Mercer County commissioners said Wednesday they would like to meet with school board and Hermitage city officials to discuss other ways they can help Levey and Co. build a retail development in the city.

    But Levey spokeswoman Jeffrey A. Mills said there is nothing to discuss.

    May 24, 2012

  • Warden expects hectic season at county jail

    With the unofficial start of summer just a few days away, Mercer County Jail officials are preparing for a busy season.

    May 23, 2012