Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Animal Control Salary topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee approves first reading to raise animal control officer pay cap to $45,000
Summary
The committee advanced an amendment to raise the animal control officer salary cap from about $39,000 to $45,000 on first reading; staff said the department received 27 applicants and described training and overtime arrangements.
The Fall River City Committee on Ordinance and Legislation approved a first reading to amend the salary cap for the city’s animal control officers, increasing the cap from about $39,000 to $45,000.
Nick Macalini, director of human resources, told the committee that the current salary cap was set July 1, 2022, and had risen through cost-of-living adjustments to “39,000 and change.” He said the department has received applicants for the position and that in just over two weeks they had “27 applicants.” Macalini said the proposed $45,000 cap “puts us in line” with pay for some laborer classifications and provides more flexibility; he noted the position is non‑union and that raising the cap would not automatically move current employees to the new top rate.
Barton Castro, deputy chief of police, described the work as difficult and sometimes dangerous, saying animal control officers “do get called out, constantly, for things after hours” and that they often assist police operations. Castro said the position includes a 10‑week academy — “A yes. A 10 week academy. It's on Mondays. So for 10 consecutive Mondays, they attend training, towards the western part of the state.” He also said the academy cost to the city is “$600 if you're an actual, ACO hired by municipality.”
Committee members asked about staffing and overtime. Castro said the department has one civilian supervisor and two animal control officers; the supervisor works Monday through Friday while officers rotate shifts and share on-call duties. On overtime, Castro said there is a four‑hour minimum when personnel are called in after hours and estimated overtime “about 4 to 8 hours maybe a week.”
Councilor Pozzo and Councilor Kadeem questioned training, cost and classification; Macalini said internal wage comparisons were provided and that the city would share those. The transcript records a motion to approve first reading, a second by Dr. Furrini, and a unanimous “Aye.” The motion approved the amendment on first reading.
The transcript records additional discussion that the animal control staff perform emotionally difficult duties, including euthanasia in some cases, and that the role supports police operations. The record does not specify exact implementation dates for the salary change, a final effective date, or detailed budget line items; those details were not provided during the meeting.
