Council enacts higher pay schedule for traffic supervisors, approves $60,000 transfer to cover raises
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Summary
The Malden City Council adopted an ordinance raising traffic supervisors' wages (crossing guards) to $25/hour with scheduled increases and approved a $60,000 transfer from salary reserve to cover the fiscal-year cost.
The Malden City Council voted Monday to update the salary schedule for traffic supervisors (crossing guards), increasing the rate to $25 per hour with planned raises over the next three years, and approved a $60,000 transfer from the city’s salary reserve to cover the rest of the fiscal year. The ordinance (paper 340-25) was recommended by committee and was enrolled and ordained after a roll-call vote following a motion to suspend the rules.
Why it matters: Traffic supervisors perform daily street-crossing duties for schoolchildren; councilors cited safety, the difficulty of the work and recruitment challenges. Councilor Winslow and Councilor McDonald led the motion in committee and on the floor, and councilors noted the pay had been $19–22 in recent contracts and needed an update.
What the council did: The chamber voted to suspend the rules and ordained the amendment to the traffic supervisor salary schedule, then approved an order (paper 341-25) transferring $60,000 from salary reserve to traffic salaries so the raises are funded retroactive to July 1, 2025. Councilors said the funds will provide back pay to the effective date and cover the remainder of the fiscal year’s increased costs.
Votes and procedure: The ordinance and the transfer were approved by roll-call votes following the committee’s favorable recommendation. Councilors who spoke in favor noted the job’s hazards and the need to maintain staffing; one councilor suggested exploring designation as special municipal employees.
Implementation: City administration will adjust payroll to reflect the new rates and apply the appropriation for current-year costs. Councilors said they planned to continue discussion about long-term funding and whether other city programs should share maintenance costs for parks and fields.
Context: The traffic supervisor schedule change was presented as part of broader attention to municipal staffing and budgets; councilors repeatedly noted the city’s tight finances and emphasized the importance of funding core public safety and service roles.