YOUNGSTOWN — City council on Wednesday will consider raising the salary of the clerk of courts, which would give Sarah Brown-Clark, who leaves the job at the end of the month, an additional $7,181.

The city pays 60% of Brown-Clark’s salary with Mahoning County paying the rest. While the county has increased her pay, the city hasn’t since 2018.

Legislation in front of council would pay Brown-Clark, who’s served in the elected position for 24 years, an additional $7,181 for this year — with the city’s portion of her salary going from $67,389 to $74,570.

Without the additional money, Brown-Clark’s salary for this year is $117,103. It would go to $124,284 if council approves the 10.7% increase.

The only city employees who make more than Brown-Clark in annual base pay are the two municipal court judges.

Brown-Clark said she didn’t want to discuss the issue until after the council vote.

She said: “Every year that the (Ohio) Supreme Court indicated there was a raise (for elected city clerks of courts) I sent a letter. It’s not that I just brought it up now.”

Brown-Clark added: “There are people who are just paranoid. Justice needs to be done and an injustice was done to me.”

But it wasn’t until last month that Brown-Clark raised the issue of her salary to council members.

Brown-Clark met with council members and some city administration officials in executive session Nov. 13 and Dec. 6 to discuss the money issue.

Councilman Mike Ray, D-4th Ward, said: “Sarah brought to council’s attention that she has not received the increases other elected clerks of courts received since 2018. The administration said it had to be done through legislative action sponsored by the mayor or council. The mayor is not willing to sponsor the legislation. This was the first time it was brought to council’s attention.”

Ray said administrations prior to Mayor Jamael Tito Brown gave Brown-Clark raises.

“It never came to our body before,” Ray said. “Council is acting in good faith to what was previously done.”

The pay increase legislation is sponsored by council as a whole.

But not all of council supports increasing the pay.

Councilwoman Basia Adamczak, D-7th, who is leaving council at the end of the month, said she won’t make her decision until Wednesday’s meeting.

“I’ll have to hear one more time if she’s entitled to it under the Ohio Revised Code and the city charter,” she said.

The increase also would be given starting Jan. 1 to Richard Vincent Hill, Brown-Clark’s successor.

Brown didn’t respond to efforts to reach him for comment.

Lou D’Apolito, interim law director, said he didn’t know if Brown-Clark requested Brown give her a raise since she last received one in 2018.

“There’s a process where you get that raise,” he said. “It has to go through legislation sponsored by the mayor or council. If you don’t do that, the onus is on her and not the mayor.”

Brown-Clark said she requested pay increases from the city administration every time she was entitled to get them.

D’Apolito said Brown-Clark is not entitled to pay raises retroactive to 2019.

“She’s looking to go back in time and she can’t go retroactive beyond this year,” he said. “The only way is litigation and a settlement.”

UNION CONTRACTS

City council on Wednesday also will vote on a contract with the ranking police officers union and on a contract with the union that represents clerical staff and police department mechanics.

The police ranking officers have a “me-too” provision in their contract so its members receive whatever percentage raises are given to the patrol union.

The contract calls for a 3.5% raise for 2023, which it is already receiving because of the me-too clause. The 3.5% is the 2.5% that other city-employee unions received this year and a 1% “catch up” it received for 2022 as the contract for last year included a 1.5% pay raise while other unions got 2.5% raises that year. That additional 1% was already included in this year’s salary.

The union members also are receiving 2.5% raises for 2024 and 2025, which is what other city-employee unions will receive.

The city does pattern bargaining so every union gets the same percentage raises.

The new ranking police officers contract would expire April 30, 2026.

The clerical union’s expiring contract included a 1% for 2022. Unions that signed pacts after the clerical union in 2022 received 2.5% for that year.

To make the clerical union whole, its members will receive, starting Jan. 1, a 4% raise, which is 2.5% for 2024 and the 1.5% shortfall for 2022.

In 2025, the union will get a 2.5% raise.

It will get a 2.25% raise in 2026, which is the new percentage standard for that year among city-employee unions.

Also, the police department mechanics in the clerical union will get $805 annually in “exposure pay” for the first time.

The new contract would expire Sept. 30, 2026.