SAUGUS — Longtime Retirement Board member Billy Cross was unanimously voted to serve another term as chairman of the board by fellow members, after it was determined he was the only candidate nominated for a position on the board, eliminating the need to hold an election.
Cross, a captain in the town’s fire department, also serves as the president of the firefighters union and a Town Meeting member for Precinct 8. His three-year term will begin on Dec. 5, and run through that date in 2025.
In a telephone interview Wednesday evening Cross said he was first elected to the board in 1997, when he was 29, becoming the board’s fifth member at the time. He later became chair in 2012, and has not faced an opponent in any of his runs for reelection on the board.
“Since I’ve been on, I haven’t had anyone run against me and I feel like that’s a testament to the entire job the board does,” he said. “Part of it is you have to love what you do and you have to love the people you serve.”
Cross’ reappointment as chair was announced in a notice sent to active and retired members of the Saugus Retirement System last week. The contributory retirement system serves “employees of the Town of Saugus, the Saugus Housing Authority and some positions within the School Department” — a total of more than 600 active members.
Last week, three articles submitted by the Retirement Board received unanimous approval from Town Meeting members.
Article 4, Cross said, increases the minimum benefit for survivors of board members from $250 to $500.
“This is a survivor benefit, currently, I’ll use myself as an example, say I got 10 years on the job, I die, not on the job, there’s a benefit that is paid to your spouse. Right now the Town of Saugus pays a minimum of $250, currently this would affect four people who want to increase it to $500 a month so a vote in favor of this will increase this for four different spouses, widows,” he told fellow Town Meeting members
The next article up for discussion, Article 5, doubles the benefit made available to survivors of members wounded in the line of duty, raising it from $6,000 to $12,000 annually.
“To be able to give them a benefit of $12,000 is not enough in my eyes, but it’s the best we could do and it was a good feeling,” Cross said.
The final article on the warrant reviewed by Town Meeting members, Article 6, would increase the base on which the cost-of-living increase is calculated for retirees of the Retirement System. The article would raise the maximum base on which the cost of living increase is calculated from $14,000 to $18,000.
Cross said it was a “great feeling” to see all three articles pass without opposition from members.
“At the end of the day, members of Town Meeting realized that there was a real need to increase benefits and survivor benefits,” he said. “The system is in good shape [and] it’s a testament to the entire board, we’ve really stayed the course.”
A “Saugus guy” through and through, Cross said his wide range of service roles in town is a reflection of his love for the community.
“I’m very proud to be from Saugus, especially when you work in the town you grew up in … it’s to try and do better and look out for the people I both work with and work for,” he said. “The people I work with and work for are kind of like family.”
Charlie McKenna can be reached at [email protected].
