Westmoreland County’s last two elected coroners are back on the payroll.
Former Coroner Tim Carson started this month in a newly created human services position to serve as coordinator of the county’s opioid prevention program.
Meanwhile, current Coroner John Ackerman — who ousted Carson in last year’s Republican primary and won a four-year term in November — hired his former boss, Ken Bacha, as the office’s new chief deputy. Bacha was defeated by Carson in the 2021 election.
Carson, 54, of Scottdale will oversee programs funded by settlements from lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and pharmacies. Those companies were accused of furthering an addiction epidemic that plagued the country and county over the past decade.
Carson will be paid $57,983. The county’s salary board — comprising the three commissioners and Controller Jeff Balzer — created the job in January. Carson was not immediately available for comment Friday.
Human Services Director Rob Hamilton said Carson was one of four people interviewed.
“He was the best candidate with the best experience to deliver what we want to do,” Hamilton said. “This was a job created out of need and not for one person.”
Westmoreland’s opioid prevention program is expected to be funded through $30 million in settlements paid over 17 years. Hamilton said the county is slated to receive about $2.5 million annually to pay for addiction education, prevention and recovery services distributed to local municipalities.
Carson will coordinate those funds and serve as a liaison between the county and municipalities.
Hamilton said about 75% of Carson’s salary will be paid from settlement funds, with the remaining 25% coming from state block grants used for other programs, such as suicide prevention and mental health crisis centers.
Hamilton said Carson’s experience as coroner and his work with municipal leaders were key factors in his hiring.
“We hope this speaks to our level of commitment that we are using opioid money in the spirit it was designed for and to put it back into the community,” Hamilton said.
Carson, whose family owns a restaurant and catering business in Scottdale, has worked for the county for decades. He previously served as Scottdale mayor for 10 years and spent a decade as director of community affairs for the sheriff’s office, in addition to a two-year stint as the deputy register of wills.
In 2021, Carson ran against and defeated Bacha, a five-term incumbent at the time.
Bacha, 64, succeeded his father, Leo, as coroner in 2002. After his 2021 defeat, he spent several years running his family’s funeral homes and working as an administrator for Mutual Aid ambulance service.
He returned to the coroner’s office in January as chief deputy at an annual salary of $62,624.
“When Ken was working at Mutual Aid, I thought he’d be a good fit here. You can’t dispute his qualifications,” Ackerman said of his new chief deputy.