The Kingston Budget Committee spent more than an hour Wednesday debating how to implement a multi‑department wage matrix and how to remedy widely divergent salaries across town government. Committee members voted to set aside $30,000 in contingency funds to address salary adjustments for town‑hall and public‑works employees and approved a separate motion to raise the town clerk/tax collector’s 2025 salary to $104,000 (that number was adopted as the committee’s recommendation and was stated as inclusive of the already budgeted COLA).

Town clerk Tammy told the committee she had delayed putting raises in prior budgets while the wage‑matrix effort continued and asked the committee for direction. Tammy said in an emailed statement read to the committee she “propose[d] adding a cap of 3% for increases across all departments for increased salaries,” adding that the matrix had not been formally adopted and that applying it piecemeal would be unfair.

Several budget committee members and select‑board members described the matrix work as thorough but incomplete for some town positions. One select‑board member proposed putting $30,000 into contingency to allow department heads and the select board time through the spring to evaluate employees whose duties cross multiple job descriptions; he told the committee, “I would propose to my colleagues that we put in $30,000, and I wanted to put it in contingency.” The committee approved the $30,000 contingency for executive use by vote.

On the town clerk salary, an initial motion to set the elected official’s salary at $114,000 was amended on the floor to $104,000 (amendment explained as inclusive of COLA). The amended figure was accepted by Tammy, who said she would be “ecstatic” to accept $104,000; the committee then approved the amended figure by a 6–4 vote.

Committee members repeatedly cautioned that the town must develop consistent job descriptions and a clear implementation plan before fully deploying the wage matrix. The committee directed select‑board and department‑head follow up, and asked the finance director to monitor benefit and tax impacts of any salary changes.

The $30,000 contingency will appear in the proposed budget for the public hearing; unspent funds will be returned to the general fund if not used.