Gardner council advances amended nonunion pay ordinance to first printing after lengthy debate

The Gardner City Council on Sept. 2 voted 5-4 to send an amended ordinance to first printing that would replace the city's nonunion compensation schedule with a step-based salary grid and new rules for prior-service credit and periodic review. Councilor Hegland introduced the amended version after the finance committee voted to forward his draft instead of the mayor's original proposal.

The ordinance matters because it would change how the city sets pay for about 76 nonunion employees, including department heads, by creating multi-step progression, clarifying educational incentives and adding a periodic review to reduce the long-standing practice of intermittent, one-off raises.

Councilor Hegland said his draft aimed to make raises more affordable and to add council oversight: "My goal was to take into account the concerns and questions raised by councilors, increase the amount of oversight the council will have with this process going forward," he said. He also said the amended grid produces savings compared with the mayor's original plan while still giving each listed position a positive adjustment.

Debate focused on several recurring concerns: affordability and long-term fiscal risk; whether and how to credit prior public- or private-sector service when determining placement on the new grid; the mechanics of when step increases take effect; and outlier items in the mayor's draft, notably the golf pro manager line. Councilor Kazantzakis and others repeatedly said the mayor's version lacked adequate cost projections and clarity. Councilor Kazantzakis told colleagues the finance-committee alternative saves about $150,000 in year one and roughly $1 million over 10 years compared with the mayor's plan.

Councilors adopted two amendments on the floor before voting to send the item to first printing: one increased the education/incentive row and base numbers for the police and fire chiefs to include bachelor's and master's levels and another removed a proposed five-year minimum threshold for prior-service credit for current employees (a one-time grandfathering change). Hegland and others said those late adjustments addressed errors and fairness concerns raised during committee review.

Several councilors warned that any grid must be sustainable. Councilor Mack said the finance-committee version was "a more fiscally responsible alternative" and warned against approving a package that could prompt a future override to maintain operations. Councilor Thibault Munoz argued the mayor's original plan would better help retain employees in the short term; opponents said the mayor's version lacked sufficient documentation and contained apparent anomalies.

Members also questioned specifics in the packet. Councilor Hegland flagged an apparent mismatch for the golf pro manager: the ordinance lists a weekly figure, which, when annualized, differs from how the golf commission says the role is paid (the commission told the council managers are paid on a 40-week basis and retain pro-shop profits). Hegland urged further consultation with the library and golf commissions before final passage.

The motion to send the amended ordinance to first printing passed on roll call 5-4. Hegland moved to send the item to first printing; Councilor Mack seconded. Councilors Brooks, Pulme (name in roll call garbled), Tassoni and T. Bermudez voted no; the council president and five other councilors voted yes.

Next steps: the ordinance will appear in the council packet for second reading, during which members said they expect additional technical edits, corrections to numbering and updated spreadsheets showing how current employees map to the new grid. Councilors said they intend to continue negotiating implementation details, including retroactivity language, how education incentives are applied and a required mayoral report on implementation.

Background: Councilors said the last comprehensive pay adjustments for the affected nonunion employees occurred in 2004 and earlier, producing long-term unevenness. The finance-committee-driven timetable in the amended ordinance includes a regular review schedule so pay disparities can be addressed more frequently.

Clarifying note: council discussion distinguished salary-grid changes from cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). Multiple speakers clarified the ordinance establishes a step-pay structure; COLAs remain a separate annual budget decision for the mayor and council to consider.