The Eldred Township supervisors have some tough decisions to make about staffing.

The township is facing the impending retirement of its treasurer, James Phillips. Secretary Ann Velopolcek plans to retire in 2026.

At the supervisors meeting on Wednesday, chairman Scott Clark gave a brief overview of a study by the Meyner Center at Lafayette College.

The Organizational Assessment and Administration Staff Review was given to the supervisors in January, and looked at the township’s current staffing roles, its strengths and weaknesses, and made some recommendations.

Clark said the review recommends hiring either a professional manager or a township administrator in the future. A professional manager has significant responsibilities including ensuring regulatory compliance, financial management, grant writing, project management, working on behalf of the supervisors and more. An administrator has less authority to work on behalf of the supervisors than a manager, but also is paid less.

According to the review, a manager can make between $95,000 and $115,000 in salary alone, and an administrator makes between $85,000 and $95,000. Both positions are more than the township wants to pay.

“To get a true professional to do a job like that, we can’t afford that,” Clark said.

The township is leaning toward a position similar to a township administrator and possibly a part-time assistant.

“Our goal would be to create a full-time position that will cover the treasurer’s responsibility as well as administrative responsibilities,” Clark said. “We would have a two-person staff in the office.”

Velopolcek said the first thing the supervisors will do is develop a job description, then advertise it. She doesn’t know how long the process will take.