Council Approves Pay Raises

By Steve Bigham

The Legislative Council Wednesday approved pay raises for town government department heads and other nonunion personnel. It also heard a salary increase request for school administrators.

The 17 nonunion town employees will receive three percent pay raises amounting to an additional cost of $28,150 to taxpayers.

Nine school administrators (mainly principals and assistant principals) are expected to receive an average increase of just over five percent next year. That amounts to an additional $48,000 next year. The Legislative Council has 30 days to consider this proposal submitted by the Board of Education.

The school contract is for the next three years and averages pay increases of 4.16 percent during that span. School administrator costs will jump from $1.19 million this year to $1.24 million in 2002-03, $1.29 million in 03-04, and $1.34 million in 04-05.

Newtown High School Principal Bill Manfredonia stands to receive the biggest jump in salary, from $107,643 in 2000-2001 to $125,896 in 2004-2005.

By next year, all school principals will earn a salary of $100,000 or more.

On Wednesday, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal raised questions about the large variation in pay hikes between the town and school employees.

On the town side, pay increases ranged from $1,000 to $3,000 with Finance Director Ben Spragg receiving the largest increase. Mr Spragg is the first town government employee to receive a six-figure salary. He now makes $101,708.

Union workers for the town received raises averaging three percent back in July.

Also approved was a $4,350 pay raise to the police chief and $2,000 for the captain.