Selectman, Clerk, And Finance Director Increases Approved

By John Voket

Claiming First Selectman Herb Rosenthal “is worth every penny,” Legislative Council Finance Committee chairman Joseph DiCandido stood unanimously with fellow council members in approving annual increases for Newtown’s top governmental office holder during the council’s most recent meeting.

The council also voted unanimously to support budgeted increases for the town finance director and town clerk during the May 4 meeting, which was held at the Senior Center facility.

While the first selectman’s increases will not take effect until December 1, 2005 — a charter mandate to ensure the increase is not awarded until after the next elected first selectman takes office — Town Clerk Cynthia Simon and Finance Director Benjamin Spragg will begin to see their raises in the first pay period of the next fiscal year. The 2005–2006 fiscal year begins July 1, 2005.

“This represents a two-year salary negotiation. But the charter says the council cannot change the salary of an existing first selectman while he is in office,” Mr Rosenthal said before the vote. “It can’t be changed during this term.”

Sitting as an ex-officio, or nonvoting member of the council, the first selectman reminded council members in attendance that he may not be the individual benefiting from the approximately 3.5 percent increase. Mr Rosenthal had not formally declared his intent to seek another term in office at press time, but there are no opposition candidates currently declared either.

For the fiscal year 2005–2006, and commencing on December 1, the new first selectman’s salary is budgeted at $90,862. Due to the hold-off charter provision, however, and provided he seeks and wins the November election, Mr Rosenthal would collect somewhat less than the full increase or a total of $89,582 through July 1, 2006. At that time, pending the 2005–2006 budget including the line for the proposed salary is approved, the first selectman’s increase would rise to $94,042.

The increase for the finance director or CFO of the town that goes into effect July 1 will be $116,146, up from the current salary of $112,218. If approved in the second year budget round, the finance director’s 2006–2007 salary is projected to increase to $120,211.

The town clerk, whose salary is negotiated annually instead of biannually, is set to increase from $57,263 to $59,267.

During discussion on the salaries, Mr DiCandido touched upon a subject of particular concern to him in all contract negotiations, fringe benefits. He asked to clarify, for the record, the retirement benefits incorporated into the three positions.

Mr Rosenthal answered that the pension contribution was two percent for each employee with the town contributing six percent annually.

“These department head’s salaries and benefits have followed the benefit plan for town hall union employees,” Mr Rosenthal said. Addressing another question from Mr DiCandido, the first selectman added that his position oversees or manages about 175 employees.

“And the town saves $11,000 annually because I do not participate in the town’s medical insurance plan,” Mr Rosenthal said.

Before the vote to approve the salary proposals, Councilman David Brown expressed concern that the awarding of 3.5 percent increases to these town employees may make it harder to hold down future union contract increases.

“In following what seems to be the desire of the Legislative Council [to keep salary increases in check], aren’t we making it tougher to not give all the others a 3.5 percent increase the next time [contracts are negotiated]?” he asked.

Mr Rosenthal answered that the proposed increases were not among the highest in town.

“When the highest paid individual in town [the superintendent of schools] gets raises of 4 percent, or 4.8 percent, that makes it tough,” Mr Rosenthal said.

Mr DiCandido pointed out that in some cases the salary increases pale in comparison to the costs for additional negotiated benefits.

“The real killers are the fringe benefits, and it’s not just here in Newtown,” Mr DiCandido said. “The entire state is in trouble. They’re short $4 million on teachers’ pensions, and it’s taxpayers like us who have to make it up.”

During the discussion, the first selectman circulated memos detailing the comparison between town department head salaries and the board of education administrators. Besides the first selectman and finance director, the town engineer has a 2005–2006 increase negotiated to $97,890 from the current $94,580.

That contract is projected to increase to $101,316 in 2007.

The police chief, currently receiving $85,136, will see increases to $88,115 in ’05–’06 and to $91,306 in ’06-’07. The public works director, currently paid $85,136, is scheduled to receive an increase to $88,115 next year and to $91,200 in 2006–07.

Comparatively, the Board of Education’s buildings and grounds superintendent receives a salary of $82,644, according to the memo. The director of information technology is salaried at $95,346; the business director at $121,259; the assistant superintendent at $122,666; and the superintendent at $149,500.

Mr Rosenthal also pointed out that in the ’06–’07 budget, his salary would still be slightly less than an elementary school assistant principal will receive this year. That elementary assistant principal salary line, budgeted at $95,281 for ’05–’06 will increase to $102,412 by 2007.