The Cambria County commissioners have approved giving raises to managers, but many residents are wondering why after everyone else is getting hit with a property tax hike.

Commissioner said they had no choice but to give county employees in management positions a 3 percent raise. Officials said the county was forced to give union workers raises, so it would be unfair to managers if they didn't get raises too.

The move comes after commissioners raised property taxes $30.50 a year for the average resident to balance the county's budget and avoid a $20 million debt.

Commissioners said nearly 200 management employees will get the raise, which will amount to nearly $150,000 more in expenditures in 2011. Commissioners said the raises give their management employees incentive to stay in their positions and said the raises did not cause the property tax increase.

"All it does is digs a hole to where the management people become disenheartened. There's no incentive for people to work hard to obtain a management position because they're working for the same money. They don't want the responsibility," said Commissioner P.J. Stevens.

Ron Baker, of the county's personnel office, said the highest paid person on the list earns about $65,000 to $70,000, which would be an increase of about $2,000 more a year.