AUBURN - Less than a month after creating the job of county manager, the Cayuga County Legislature will vote on establishing a salary range for the new administrative position.

Members of the Government Operations and Ways and Means committees voted to present a resolution at tonight's Legislature meeting that, if passed, would advertise the starting salary range for a manager at $80,000 to $100,000, depending on education and experience.

At Monday's joint committee meeting, Ways and Means Chairman David Pappert, R-Auburn, was confident such a salary range would attract qualified candidates.

“I think we're going to have a good pool to choose from,” added Government Operations Chairman Paul Dudley.

All legislators present at the joint meetings voted in favor of the salary range except for Francis Mitchell, R-Genoa, Michael Lepak, D-Auburn and Chris Palermo, R-Sterling.

Palermo, who voted against the creation of the manager position Feb. 8, when it passed the full Legislature by a vote of 12-3, maintained that a manager would be doing the job that legislators and department heads were elected or hired to do.

He suggested reducing legislators' salaries to make up for the additional expenditures.

Should the Legislature approve the salary range tonight, the qualifications committee set forth in the county manager local law will convene to decide how to go about advertising the position, Dudley said.

The county could do the hiring process itself, use an executive recruitment firm or employ a combination of both.

Faye Hatfield, executive secretary of the Civil Service Commission, presented a civil service job description to the committees Monday. Hatfield said the position could be advertised in professional publications and through the New York State Association of Counties.

After the Legislature advertises for the position and conducts interviews, there must be another resolution to appoint the potential manager.

In other news:

- The Ways and Means Committee unanimously passed a resolution to appoint Denise Stayton as the new 911 administrator.

Legislature Chairman George Fearon, R-Springport, said that the Judicial and Public Safety Committee had conducted an estimated 11 interviews for the position, which is currently filled by acting administrator Lori DeBois. Former administrator Ed Laraway resigned from the position in August 2005. The full Legislature will vote on the appointment tonight.

Staff writer Linda Ober can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or linda.ober@lee.net