Cheshire Town Meeting Passes Budget With Salary Increases
CHESHIRE, Mass. — Town meeting passed a $5.5 million fiscal 2017 budget on Monday night but not without pumping up compensation for several positions that chiseled the town's $15,000 in excess levy capacity down to nearly $10,000.
The wire inspector and Board of Health made requests on the floor for raises, both of which passed despite objections by other town officials, but the water commissioner's threat to quit didn't sway voters, who rejected his request to restore his reduced salary by three votes.
All 15 articles on the annual town meeting warrant passed during the nearly two hour meeting, with the bulk of the conversation focused on the compensation issues.
Wire Inspector George Sweet motioned that his salary be increased from $3,482 to $6,000 to cover education, more hours, and travel expenses.
"I have dedicated most of my life to the town of Cheshire and ... over my 31 years the electrical code had changed drastically," Sweet said. "I want to raise my salary up to $6,000 to be comparable with what I do."
Advisory Board Chairman Bill Craig said the board had asked for documentation to back up this request but Sweet had provided only partial data. He said a 10 percent increase was recommended based on the information at hand.
Voters, however, narrowly agreed with Sweet, passing the raise by a single vote, 45-44.
Board of Health member Mickey Biagini also asked to increase the three members' stipends from $2,867 to $3,500 for the same reasons.
"The state is mandating that we take more and more classes ... we are spending more and more time doing that," Biagini said. "I believe that we earned it, and I think the $800 increases is not a whole lot for the Board of Health."
Selectwoman Carol Francesconi said she understood that salaries in town have to be adjusted but asked that the town wait a year to make these increases so officials have time to do a comprehensive salary study.
"I think we are well aware that the salaries are not what they should be for any elected town official but ... I would ask that we maintain the salaries this year until we can do our salary study," Francesconi said. "We all understand that; the salaries are totally out of whack."
Chairman Paul Astorino reaffirmed this and added that a public office should be held to serve the town.
"Most of us are doing this out of duty to the town, and the salary is not great in any of the positions," he said. "But you do have a choice you don’t have to do the job if you are that discontent."
Voters disagreed, passing the motion to raise the Board of Health's stipends by 55-38.
Water Commissioner Francis Waterman defended his salary that the Selectmen recommended be cut in half, from $14,000 to $7,000.
Waterman, who said he is the primary licensed operator of the water system, said both the secondary and primary operators are needed or else the state Department of Environmental Protection will cite the town.
He added that the position is usually priced between $20,000 and $25,000. Because of the liability and work, he said he would resign if the salary was cut.
"Personally I won't do the job for any less," Waterman said. "It's not worth the liability, and ... it's serious. It is public health and I am not putting myself or the town at risk. ...
"I'm the guy who gets called when alarms go of at 3 in the morning."
Water Superintendent Travis DelRatez affirmed this and said the town needs Waterman's knowledge of the system.
"He has 18 years worth of knowledge for every pipe in this town and you are losing that by letting this guy go," he said.
Francesconi said a DEP representative said Waterman should not be the secondary operator and that superintendent should be the primary. The Selectmen adjusted the amount of his compensation to $7,000 to reflect this so he can maintain his license.
She added it was the first she heard of Waterman's decision to resign.
Voters declined to restore the salary cut, voting 49-46 against.
Voter Gary Trudeau attempted to cut $250,000 from the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District assessment. The assessment to Cheshire is $2,640,064 for fiscal 2017, a 2.1 percent increase over this year.
The $250,000 marks the amount over the district's foundation budget, which is the minimum the state allows schools to spend.
Trudeau said he was concerned over the school’s effect on the tax rate and he cited other school's with smaller budgets. He also noted failing test scores in the district.
"The amount of spending we spend on the schools is outrageous and money isn’t going to fix the problems," he said. "Cutting this small amount out of this budget is not going to hurt our kids or the schools, but it will send a storing message that we want our schools straightened out."
School Committee member Darlene Rodowicz said cutting anymore from the already lean budget, which has been devastated by state funding not meeting mandated costs, would end in an even lower per-pupil spending that is already well below the state and county average.
"We are spending way below what we should, and I would argue that there is a strong correlation between what we spend and the outcomes," she said. "We are squeezing and skimming on education, and ... I personally don't think we are spending enough. I am embarrassed and ashamed by the little amount we do spend."
Superintendent Kristen Gordon agreed and said the district has a high special-needs population and cutting anymore would mean even larger class sizes that would hinder progress.
The motion overwhelmingly failed.
The remaining articles, that included two debt exclusion articles and an array of housekeeping articles, sailed through with little resistance.
Tags: fiscal 2017, town meeting 2016,
