Nahant is ready to go to meeting

NAHANT – The Finance and Advisory Committee will recommend a 2.6 percent increase in salaries and wages for certain town employees at the annual Town Meeting later this month.Selectmen signed the annual Town Meeting warrant, and the Finance and Advisory Committee finalized it. It went off to the printer Monday.According to Brendan Ward, chair of the finance committee, the recommendation was reduced from three percent (recommended by selectmen to 2 percent (the FinCom?s figure).As a result, “Salaries, wages and benefits total approximately $6,450,000, representing a 2.6 increase (with fixed costs) over last year,” the committee wrote in a letter to the town?s residents.The new town administrator, Jeffrey Chelgren, will earn more than a two percent increase over the departed interim town administrator?s (Mark Cullinan) wages. His salary range is $86,726 to $104,850 with a maximum salary of $131,000 over the course of time.Cullinan?s salary is $104,500, but allows for growth long-term, Ward said.