Selectmen debate raises for elected officials

SHARON — Should the town’s elected officials get a 2-percent salary increase in the upcoming fiscal 2010-11 budget, or should they not get a raise at all?

This will be one of the issues the Board of Finance will have to confront when looking over the proposed town budget at its meeting Tuesday, March 23, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

During a budget workshop held by the Board of Selectmen on March 11, the two members present, First Selectman Bob Loucks and Selectman John Mathews, did not agree on whether elected officials should get a raise.

Loucks recommended that elected officials receive a 2-percent increase in their salaries, while Mathews disagreed and recommended salaries remain flat.

“If the elected officials take a zero-percent increase, it really will not cause a great deal of savings in the budget,� Mathews said after the meeting. “However, this would be a statement to the residents of Sharon who are all dealing with tough economic times.�

While there was a debate over a potential pay raise for elected officials, both selectmen agreed that non-elected employees of the town would receive a 2-percent salary increase.

After the meeting, Loucks said salary increases should be equal for all town employees, elected and non-elected.

“I’m at a point where we all take 2 percent or we all take nothing at all,� Loucks said. “I don’t want people to feel that one group is different than the other. If someone wants to forgo their raise, then we should leave it up to them.�

Loucks said that he, Mathews and Meg Szalewicz will not accept any salary increases this year.

As for the proposed salary increase for other elected officials, because there was a stalemate at the meeting during which Loucks voted for the increase and Mathews voted against it, the issue will have to be decided by the Board of Finance.

“I know this might have created kind of a stir with town officials, but we will get this resolved,� Loucks said. “The Board of Finance will go through it and then we will go through town meeting and get this all ironed out.�

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