Acting Town Manager Kim Bernard addressed the issue of compensation for the Town Clerk during the most recent Town Council meeting, calling it a “very important topic.”
“We’re getting to the end of the fiscal year, and we’re getting to the end where employees are getting their reviews,” Bernard said during the meeting.
He noted that over the past several months, the Town has negotiated five different union contracts, all of which were ratified by voters in March.
“Those are all going into effect July 1,” Bernard said.
As part of the new agreements, Bernard explained that staff members will be receiving wage adjustments, including Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs).
He also referenced a decision made about two months ago to address compensation for the Tax Collector.
During his time as Acting Town Manager, Bernard said he has observed firsthand that Town Hall employees work hard.
“I’ve heard councilors say to me we need to take care of our employees, we need to treat them right, we need to do the right thing,” Bernard said.
He added that in order to attract and retain the right people for Londonderry, the Town needs to offer competitive pay, benefits, and uphold high standards.
“If we don’t,” he said, “we’ll be like other communities that have sign-on bonuses. We don’t do that here.”
Bernard also noted that current Town Clerk Sherry Farrell has not received a COLA in nearly three years. He said the topic is supposed to be reviewed annually but hasn’t been addressed in almost two years.
“Our Town Clerk has worked here for 11 years,” Bernard said, adding that there have been no complaints during her tenure.
He said he reviewed compensation data from several other communities and found that many pay more than Londonderry does for the same position.
Currently, Londonderry pays $71,780 for the role.
“We always say Londonderry leads the way-sometimes we have to do a little bit better,” Bernard said.
He emphasized that no one asked him to bring the matter forward and that he believes the current pay is below market compared to other towns. He recommended the issue be revisited during the upcoming budget season.
Town Councilor Dan Bouchard said he spoke to the incoming Town Manager and believes the matter should be addressed once the new manager is in place.
Councilor Ted Combes added that he thinks the Town should develop an industry standard for compensation across the state.
It should be noted that the Town Clerk post is an elected position and compensation would need to be voted on through a warrant article or by the Town Council.