Selectmen, Finance Board Approve Wage Increases

By John Voket

During regular meetings September 4 and 10, and with virtually no discussion, the Boards of Selectmen and Finance unanimously approved wage increases for 30 municipal employees. The $45,677 required to fund those increases was drawn from a municipal contingency account. The wage hikes now go before the Legislative Council on September 19 for final approval.

The average increase excluding the three largest nonunion management raises was around $1,000.

(A spreadsheet detailing the increases and adjustments is linked to this report at newtownbee.com.)

First Selectman Pat Llodra had previously discussed with The Bee her concerns about bringing certain positions’ compensation packages up to parity not only with similar positions in neighboring and similarly sized communities, but with individuals doing the same work for Newtown’s school district.

Ms Llodra also previously expressed concerns about retaining valued and talented Newtown employees, some who have gone years without a pay increase. She said September 12 that while most of the increases were capped at 1.75 percent, several were increased beyond that cap because they were “significantly out of scale” compared to other communities.

The pay for the first selectman was among those increased on paper, according to Finance Director Robert Tait. But Mrs Llodra is not taking that increase.

The finance director said nonetheless, Mrs Llodra wanted to see the compensation for the first selectman’s position increased to ensure future candidates for office would receive a competitively structured pay scale. That increase totaled $1,703.

The first selectman also indicated that all the positions receiving increases would also be increasing their medical benefit contributions from 10 to 12 percent.

The most significant increase was to the finance director who received a $10,000 bump. But Mr Tait said the net effect on the current year’s budget is $7,500 because half the increase was awarded July 1, with the balance going into effect January 1, 2013. Since the new fiscal year begins July 1, 2013, the final six months’ increase will be paid out in the next budget year.

Five other town workers received increases plus one-time adjustments to help bring their pay scales up to a competitive level.

Those positions include the police captain, who received a 1.75 percent increase plus a $1,000 additional adjustment; a technology specialist who received a $1,500 adjustment plus increase; a GIS tech and assistant finance director who each received $1,000 adjustments plus increase; and the first selectman’s executive assistant who received a $500 adjustment plus increase.

The largest net increase in dollars according to a spreadsheet provided to The Bee, was the town engineer whose increase totaled $1,918, while the lowest net increase went to the GIS software tech, who received a $732 bump before the additional $1,000 adjustment.

Mr Tait said that while this year’s actions do not bring a number of municipal positions up to parity, he anticipates in subsequent years that further increases and adjustments will eventually bring those positions up to a competitive level with counterparts in the Newtown school district and/or other similar communities.