Saugus officials talk salaries at finance meeting

SAUGUS – The Board of Selectmen made a presentation to Finance Committee members Wednesday that included its own recommendations for salaries.Chairman Ellen Faiella spoke for the board when she said some of the salaries for department heads were too high, and she recommended that those receiving the high increases be taken down to the typical three percent increase or no increase at all. Some of the employees included the deputy assessor and treasurer/collector.?Sadly enough, this is reflected through whole budget, except youth and recreation,” said Faiella.Faiella said it was a risk to source the youth and recreation?s clerk out of the revolving account. She was concerned if money was tight either the employee or the programs funded by the same account would be cut. Faiella said the programs were especially important because they were instrumental in preventing addiction, and she questioned Town Manager Scott Crabtree?s priority in keeping a second assistant in his office.?If the program begins to suffer, (Town Manager Scott Crabtree) is the person who will have to do something about it,” said Finance Committee Chairman Robert Palleschi.The Board of Selectmen originally made the recommendations in reviewing the town budget at a meeting in February, but Faiella said Crabtree defended his recommendations, and he said employees were given increases or hired above what Town Meeting appropriated to meet the pay that was offered in other towns. Faiella said when the board asked for documentation to support those claims, Crabtree gave them only a Microsoft Word document with salary listings in other towns.Faiella said Economic Development Coordinator Robert Luongo?s salary was appropriated for $80,000 but was hired at $90,000. “I don?t know if that was a breach in trust or someone trying to do their best for the town.”Luongo?s salary was set higher at $95,000 for the 2014-2015 budget, because, as Faiella said she was told by Crabtree, “some other community was trying to recruit him.”Palleschi told Faiella that Crabtree had told him to call that “other community” to check that statement. “From what I gather, it was true,” he said.?We?re in tough economic times, and when folks take a job, they know the salary and they know the conditions of the job,” said Faiella.Palleschi told Faiella that he had been in on the recruiting process to hire a town accountant and often offered the position to a top candidate only to have that candidate choose the position somewhere else for better pay.While Palleschi reminded Faiella that Crabtree was the principal manager of the town?s budget, Faiella said, “The management of any company needs the opportunity to manage, but accountability is the bottom line.”Palleschi responded, “I would hope the Town Manager would agree with that.”?I would assume,” said Faiella, with a look to Crabtree. “I would assume.”