Selectmen Reject Out-Of-Cycle Salary Increases For 3 Employees [with video]
At last week's joint public hearing between Selectmen and Finance Committee, Town Manager Mark Haddad presented a draft of the upcoming warrant for the Oct 20 Fall Town Meeting and included his recommendations for spending additional revenues of $176,285 received by the town since spring town meeting. There is $86,900 from new growth; $75,900 from local receipts; $3,784 from state charges; $2,383 from offset receipts and a minus of ($21,729) for snow and ice removal.
He wrote, "With the additional revenue, the approved budget is now $245,065 under the levy limit." Department of Revenue has certified the town's Free Cash at $1,181,587. Haddad said that some of this Free Cash would be used to fund several of the articles contained in the warrant. The use of 'Free Cash;' will not impact the tax rate.
Haddad recommended spending these additional funds in the following manner. First, he is proposing salary increases based on grade changes and additional hours. He wants to move the newly-hired assistant Treasurer/Tax Collector to a Grade 7 from a Grade 6 with an increase of $3,654; in the IT Department, he wants to move the Desk Top specialist position to a Grade 6 from a Grade 5 and increase the hours from 35 to 40 at a cost of $9,898 and the Assistant Town Accountant from a Grade 7 to a Grade 9 and increase the hours from 27 to 30 for a cost of $6,070.
However, this week the majority of Selectmen; Chairman Josh Degen, Selectman Jack Petropoulos and Selectman Anna Eliot voted against this recommendation to increase grade levels and wages. Selectmen Peter Cunningham and Stuart Schulman voted in favor.
It has been past practice that proposed salary and grade increases for town employees are voted on at Annual Spring Town Meeting along with the other regular employee increases and any grade changes.
However, the Board did support unanimously Haddad's proposal to use $4,500 of this money to match 20 percent of a grant application to the Dept. of Conservation and Recreation submitted by Paul Funch of the Trails Committee to make a trail off Nod Road that would be handicapped accessible. The total of the grant application is $22,290.
