By Joan F. Simoneau, Community Reporter
Marlborough-The Marlborough City Council has taken action on the first major change in salaries for city department head positions since 1989. The request was made by Mayor Arthur Vigeant, and reviewed and approved by the Council Finance Committee. At the council’s March 7 meeting, councilors voted to have the updated salary ordinance advertised and will vote on it at an upcoming meeting.
The new plan extends the number of steps and years necessary to reach maximum salary from four to seven steps and two to 15- ½ years. It mandates new hires to begin at Step 1, and provides the mayor with the authority to waive any two steps of the salary schedule for all positions, subject to available appropriation. The proposal reflects the type of wage plans used in private industry.
The new seven step, 15-plus year salary schedule includes: comptroller/treasurer – $109,014 to $122,767; human resources director – $87,765 to $98,838; city auditor – $89,613 to $100,919; city clerk – $81,298 to $91,555; assistant city solicitor – $82,125 to $92,486; chief procurement officer – $76,679 to $86,353; library director, $91,461 to $103,000; para-legal – $40,355 to $45,424; assistant recreation director – $57,279 to $64,505; and new union senior clerks – $40,335 to $45,424.
Police and fire chiefs are subject to contractual agreements, therefore their salaries will not be subject to the seven steps. For legal reasons, the mayor, city councilors and aides and secretaries for those positions are also exempt.
Those one-step positions are proposed to receive the following: police chief – $166,464; aide to the mayor and research assistant to the city councilor, $68,666; city solicitor – $117,565; executive secretary to the mayor, $53,009; mayor $100,000 and each city councilor – $10,000.
Pay hikes for the mayor and city council shall not take effect until January 1, 2018.