Norton council adds clerical union pay adjustment ordinance to agenda

The Norton City Council on Monday voted to add an ordinance for first reading that would authorize a memorandum of understanding with AFSCME Local 265 to provide a one-time market-rate pay adjustment for five clerical positions.

Council member Mr. Lukens presented the item during the Personnel committee report and offered the ordinance for first reading. The ordinance was read into the record as “An ordinance authorizing the administrative officer to execute and deliver a memorandum for understanding between the city of Norton and the AFSCME Local 265, declaring an emergency.”

Mr. Lukens described the change as a “$2.35 market rate adjustment.” Administration staff explained the adjustment covers five employees: the police department office manager, the fire department office manager, the service office manager, the zoning office manager and the finance account clerk, and would bring those positions “up to $55,000 a year.”

Mr. Sandro said the adjustment “was a result of a meeting that Miss Keener had with, and I had with Mr. DeHarbert,” and that a review of compensation led to the determination that this was a fair market-rate adjustment for the affected office managers. Council had no other substantive questions; a motion to add the ordinance to the agenda for first reading passed on a roll call vote.

The ordinance was presented as a first reading only; no final vote on the MOU was taken Monday. If advanced in subsequent meetings, the ordinance would enact an emergency one-time market-rate adjustment for the five listed city clerical positions represented by AFSCME Local 265.