HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County’s judges have asked the commissioners to sign a contract with a second private court reporting service in light of a shortage of county court reporters who record and transcribe proceedings.
Commissioners, however, showed interest Tuesday in exploring other options, including one presenting the job’s annual starting pay at close to $50,000 when compensation for typed transcripts is included.
That level of pay, Commissioner Bruce Erb said Tuesday, could be the reason why someone pursues training to become a court reporter.
Judge Wade Kagarise, who referred to a statewide court reporter shortage and limited training opportunities, told commissioners that Blair County is currently relying on three court reporters to manage a workload handled two years ago by five court reporters.
While the county has posted court reporting job openings online, Kagarise said it fails to draw qualified applicants.
The lack of applicants was one of the reasons why the county signed a contract with Principle Court Reporting Services of Johnstown. But that company only assigns a court reporter to Blair County on one or two days a week, Kagarise said.
While a county employee is currently training to become a court reporter, Kagarise proposed the option of signing a contract with Speak and Scribe LLC of Duncansville as an interim measure.
Speak and Scribe LLC was recently created by Jackie Kormanski, a former Blair County court reporter who resigned in July.
Kagarise said Speak and Scribe LLC submitted a rate of $200 per day and $2.35 per transcribed page, which is slightly less than what the county pays to Principle and is less than others charge.
Commissioner Amy Webster said that the county’s labor counsel advised against the contract, which Commissioner Laura Burke said could possibly be viewed as a tactic to eliminate a union-represented position.
Webster suggested the alternative of hiring Kormanski as a part-time county employee, prompting Kagarise to reply that if she says no, the county remains short of court reporters.
Erb suggested that the shortage could be addressed by paying current employees for additional work hours, including overtime, until additional court reporters are hired.
“It would be more cost effective than another independent contractor,” he said.
Erb also examined W-2 statements from last year when the county had four court reporters. Their salaries, plus their additional hours and transcription fees, averaged out to $66,000, which he said is not reflected in the county’s posting of job openings.
County leaders, meeting today as the salary board, are scheduled to take action that will pave the way for filling the court reporting job that Kormanski vacated. The starting pay is listed as $16.30 an hour with a 35-hour work week, equating to $29,666 annually.
Erb said Tuesday that based on his review, the fees for typed transcription pages will push that starting annual pay to at least $47,000 to $48,000 annually.
Kagarise also mentioned Tuesday, while addressing commissioners, that the shortage of court reporters also affects the court’s day-to-day schedule and the pace at which the courts can operate.
“One court reporter cannot be in two places,” he said. “And it’s not uncommon for all four of us (judges) to be in court at the same time.”
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.
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