Home » News » Politics
June 26. 2012 11:30PM
Candia's pay raise rankles selectman
CANDIA — One town selectman says the board’s decision to grant town employees a 3 percent wage raise disregards the desire of the citizens.
“I don’t think it’s acceptable to the voters,” said Selectman Amanda Soares. “It’s basically a slap in the face.”
Soares was the only member of the four-person board to vote against the wage increase at the board’s June 11 meeting, where chair Joe Duarte proposed during his financial report a cost-of-living raise for town employees, effective July 1 to Dec. 31.
Duarte did not respond to calls for comment Tuesday. At the meeting, he said the total cost of the raise for the rest of the year would come to around $13,000, bringing the total for salaries to $813,835.
In his financial report, Duarte said that expenses had decreased by $46,086 over the past year, down to $905,634 at the end of May from $951,720 in May 2011. In the same time period, revenue jumped from $438,465 to $527,008, an increase of $88,543.
He said this financial situation was the result of good work within the town departments, and the town needs to make sure it takes care of its employees.
Candia’s last cost-of-living raise was in 2008. The selectmen themselves will not receive the raise, as their quarterly stipend is determined by town vote. Town stipend recipients, including the tax collector and town clerk, will not receive the raise. Soares said citizens already had voted against the increase by turning down a proposed budget to which it was attached as an amendment.
“That was pretty much the taxpayers saying they just wanted the bare minimum,” she said. “Basically, they told us they don’t want increases. Our job is to listen to the people and do what the people say.”
When the raise was discussed at the board meeting, Duarte said it had been twice approved by the selectmen in deliberative session.
He said it was additional elements tacked onto the budget that Candia voters rejected, not the wage increase itself.
Soares said she opposes the increase because, while the town does have extra money right now, there’s no guarantee emergency expenses won’t pop up.
“I look at it like my household budget,” she said. “Say my water heater breaks or I have to put in a new well. Where am I just going to make that money magically appear from? I wouldn’t like to put this town in a bad spot financially.”
Katie Lannan may be reached at klannan@newstote.com.
“I don’t think it’s acceptable to the voters,” said Selectman Amanda Soares. “It’s basically a slap in the face.”
Soares was the only member of the four-person board to vote against the wage increase at the board’s June 11 meeting, where chair Joe Duarte proposed during his financial report a cost-of-living raise for town employees, effective July 1 to Dec. 31.
Duarte did not respond to calls for comment Tuesday. At the meeting, he said the total cost of the raise for the rest of the year would come to around $13,000, bringing the total for salaries to $813,835.
In his financial report, Duarte said that expenses had decreased by $46,086 over the past year, down to $905,634 at the end of May from $951,720 in May 2011. In the same time period, revenue jumped from $438,465 to $527,008, an increase of $88,543.
He said this financial situation was the result of good work within the town departments, and the town needs to make sure it takes care of its employees.
Candia’s last cost-of-living raise was in 2008. The selectmen themselves will not receive the raise, as their quarterly stipend is determined by town vote. Town stipend recipients, including the tax collector and town clerk, will not receive the raise. Soares said citizens already had voted against the increase by turning down a proposed budget to which it was attached as an amendment.
“That was pretty much the taxpayers saying they just wanted the bare minimum,” she said. “Basically, they told us they don’t want increases. Our job is to listen to the people and do what the people say.”
When the raise was discussed at the board meeting, Duarte said it had been twice approved by the selectmen in deliberative session.
He said it was additional elements tacked onto the budget that Candia voters rejected, not the wage increase itself.
Soares said she opposes the increase because, while the town does have extra money right now, there’s no guarantee emergency expenses won’t pop up.
“I look at it like my household budget,” she said. “Say my water heater breaks or I have to put in a new well. Where am I just going to make that money magically appear from? I wouldn’t like to put this town in a bad spot financially.”
- - - - - - - -
Katie Lannan may be reached at klannan@newstote.com.
» SHARE EVENTS FOR PUBLICATION, IT'S FREE!
Upcoming Events
Sorry, no question available