Cheshire to Revamp Town Salary Structure
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Selectmen and the Advisory Board trudged through the fiscal 2017 budget this week and pledged to revamp the town's salary structure next year.
They met with department heads Tuesday to review the draft budget that is 2.5 percent higher than this year's budget and currently reflects a $11,000 to $12,000 levy limit buffer.
Advisory Board Chairman Bill Craig programmed a 2.5 percent increase for most of the departments, but some requested more. And several failed to provide their budgets in timely manner.
Wire Inspector George Sweet asked for a 90 percent raise that would reflect a $6,000 increase. He stated that much of this increase is needed for compensation for classes he needs to take to in order to keep up his certification up and for mileage.
"I spend a lot of time out there doing that, and I have been the wire inspector for 30 years and over the 30 years, the code has changed," Sweet said. "It takes a lot more time to do these jobs."
Craig said he put in a 10 percent increase because of the volume of solar inspections, which are more involved. He said he asked for a budget request in April and but did not receive it until last Thursday night.
He added that he had no issue compensating Sweet for education and travel but it has to documented.
"We didn't get the quantification we needed and without something to lean on I can't say this is a good idea," Craig said. "We have to be able to support what we are putting into the budget and asking people to pay for."
Sweet said it is too difficult to account for each job and mileage and felt the board should understand his request.
"You might have to find a new wire inspector, someone you think you can get for that price," he said. "Shop around and see what you can get. I have done a lot for this town and I think I deserve it."
Craig reaffirmed he may need to be compensated for some items, but the board needs proof.
"If there are courses that you are required to take to maintain certification we will pay for it, but I don't think it is unreasonable for us to ask for documentation to support it," Craig said. "We are trying to put solid routines in across the town, period."
The Board of Health also asked for a higher salary increase of $1,000 to compensate for classes, inspections, and time spent out of the members' full-time jobs.
Craig said they may very well deserve the increase but the budget he'd asked for in April had just been submitted that night.
Selectwoman Carol Francesconi agreed the town should compensate for time out of work but not normal Board of Health activity.
"I agree that if they go to meetings or classes then they should get paid but ... they want to get paid extra for going and checking out beavers," she said citing a request the board made because of an increase in beaver issues.
Both boards agreed they need to review the information first before making a ruling.
Selectman Paul Astorino suggested that the selectmen should receive a $500 salary increase because of extra time they have to put in.
"I put a lot of time into this, and $2,500 is $500 less than the dam dog officer," Astorino said. "I am not happy with it."
Selectman Robert Ciskowski said he would be against the raise because the job is not about the money.
"I do it for community service and if the salary was zero I would still do it," he said. "If I wanted a part-time job to make $2,500 I would be doing consulting work or digging cellar holes."
Francesconi agreed with Ciskowski, saying many town employees and elected officials are deserving of raises but it is not fair to increase the selectmen's salary more than the flat 2.5 percent.
She added that next year the town has to rethink the salary structure.
"We need a whole revamp of the salary system because this just sucks," she said. "Every single department we all put in more hours than we get paid for but I don't think this is the year that we change it all."
Police Chief Timothy Garner said this issue comes up every year and even his own employees are paid far less than surrounding communities. He said the town should really pull together, create a committee, and structure salaries.
"We are not adjusting, and we have been stagnating for 34 years," Garner said. "It has to go somewhere because you can't go every year having the same people doing the same thing for the same amount of pay."
Tags: cheshire_budget, fiscal 2017, salaries,
