Butler County officials disagree whether there were too many county jobs created and too large pay raises given this year.

Commissioner Jim Eckstein on Wednesday lambasted his fellow commissioners and county Controller Ben Holland for adding 10 new posts, two of which were created at that meeting, and giving workers too much money in 2014.

During the public comment session, Eckstein said the county is too quick to add jobs to the payroll.

“They’re out of control,” Eckstein said.

The controller and the three commissioners comprise the county salary board, which approves the creation of jobs and pay hikes.

Holland and Eckstein, the sole Democrat, are joined on the board by commissioners Bill McCarrier and Dale Pinkerton.

According to a list supplied by Eckstein, the 10 jobs were a new district judge clerk to float between offices, a human services community mobilizer, a human services intellectual disability specialist, an emergency services planner, a maintenance repairman, an on-call custodian and four part-time deputies.

The deputy posts previously received less hours and did not receive health benefits and retirement.

The emergency services planner already existed, but was funded by federal money. The salary board recreated the job because it is now funded solely by county dollars.

The list does not include a veterans services assistant post created earlier this month.

Eckstein only supported the creation of the community mobilizer, emergency services planner and veterans service job.

He accused Holland, who should be a fiscal watchdog, of blindly accepting what McCarrier tells him.

“He’s been doing exactly as he’s told,” Eckstein said.

Holland, who was out of town attending a conference, said in an interview Eckstein was misrepresenting what happened.

The controller pointed out there have been numerous changes made to proposed jobs before they’re approved.

“There have been substantial savings,” Holland said.

Eckstein said in an interview any cost-savings spurred by Holland have been minor.

“Very little,” Eckstein said.

The veterans services post was proposed to be full-time, but Holland and Eckstein insisted it be part-time.

Holland explained his method is to listen to what’s proposed at a Monday agenda-setting meeting, research the issue the discuss each job with the commissioners individually before a vote is taken that Wednesday.

“There’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes,” he said.

Holland said he will not participate in the commissioners infighting during meetings.

The repairman and custodian posts were created Wednesday. Eckstein dissented while Holland’s second deputy Sherry Britton abstained.

The commissioners did not grant Holland’s request to table votes until the next meeting.

The repairman will be paid $20.23 an hour and will receive individual health benefits and retirement.

Eckstein opposed the job being allotted a 25-to-40-hour workweek. He said if his colleagues insisted on creating the post, it should be restricted to 32 hours a week.

Holland questioned why Eckstein would categorize him as a yes-man when he proposed a similar restriction.

“I’m a little confused,” Holland said.

Eckstein also opposed the on-call custodian job, which will be paid $14.49 an hour and work no more than 1,000 hours annually without receiving benefits or retirement.

He said the job should carry the stipulation that it would be temporary due to two maintenance staff currently being on medical leave.

“These jobs are forever,” Eckstein said about the new posts.

John Campbell, director of county facilities and operations, said new workers are needed to cover the medical leaves and address ongoing issues at the county prison on South Washington Street.

Campbell said some of his staff are being diverted from other work, causing a chain effect of delays in completing maintenance tasks in all county buildings.

Pinkerton agreed there was a problem keeping up with the work.

“They’re falling behind in maintenance in the county,” he said.

Eckstein said Campbell neglected to provide a rationale for the new jobs in writing, so he couldn’t properly review their necessity.

Pinkerton said he didn’t know how Eckstein could not understand Campbell’s previous verbal explanation.

“Go ahead and make a fool of yourself,” Pinkerton said to Eckstein.

Eckstein disagreed he was being foolish.

“I’m not making a fool of myself controlling costs,” he replied.

Eckstein said he trusted county department heads to a point.

“We’re just talking how far,” he said.

Eckstein said the county started the year off on the wrong foot by granting nonunion employees a 3 percent raise rather than his proposed 1.5 percent.

“My plan would have reduced it in half,” he said.

The other salary board members defended the 3 percent hike at the time, saying nonunion employees should match what union workers get.

Eckstein also chided the other commissioners and Holland for increasing administrative assistant salaries beyond the initial 3 percent hike, pointing out one employee would receive a total 10 percent raise for the year while another gets 12 percent.

The other commissioners and Holland supported the changes, because money would be saved in the long run through attrition.

Some of the posts’ salaries will decrease, but only after the current employees filling those jobs retire.

Eckstein vowed there would be a property tax hike because of county spending.