Salem City council committee removes extra review language from school committee pay ordinance

A Salem City council committee voted May 7, 2025, to remove procedural review language from the ordinance that sets school committee compensation at 8% of the mayor’s salary.

The change, moved by Councilor Cohen and seconded by Councilor Morisillo, strips language requiring a review "during the first 4 months of the city council's biennial organization" and a recommendation to the full council "no later than the first meeting in May" to set compensation for the subsequent two fiscal years. The committee chair called the motion and the committee carried it without recorded opposition.

The ordinance language read aloud during the meeting states: "Commencing 01/01/2024, members of school committee, with the exception of the mayor, shall shall receive a salary equal to 8% of of the mayor's of the salary of the mayor, in effect January 1 each year. That's that salary shall be paid to members biweekly." A staff member explained the reason the extra review language existed originally: "that's because this was new. We added this 8%, back in January 2024. Before that, we had to put it in to review it. And so this was just a 2 step thing that happened."

Under the amendment approved by the committee, the ordinance will keep the 8% tie to the mayor’s salary and biweekly payment schedule while removing the separate biennial review and recommendation requirement, which supporters said is redundant because the school committee rate will change automatically when the mayor’s salary is reviewed.

Councilor Varela was recorded as absent. The committee moved next to an executive session on a separate item.