Stacy Dion, presenting on behalf of the wage-matrix committee, told the Select Board the group had compiled salary data from 21 towns chosen for similar population and per-capita income and adjusted older reports to 2025 using Northeast cost-of-living adjustments. “We've been working on the wage matrix for about a year and a half,” Dion said.

The committee supplied job-title–to–job-title comparisons and full comparator spreadsheets so department managers and the board could determine final alignment. Dion said public-works comparisons included additional towns selected for similar road mileage and operations, and cautioned that incumbents who have taken on extra responsibilities can make Kingston job titles appear higher than the comparator role would suggest.

Board members discussed how to keep the matrix current. Dion recommended that finance and human resources update the matrix annually by applying the chosen COLA and that the matrix be reexamined if local demographics or highway mileage change. Members debated review cadence: some favored a five-year full reassessment while others urged a minimal annual review of a short checklist of indicators to prevent the data from becoming quickly outdated.

The board also addressed hiring pressures tied to market shifts. Dion referenced recent local hiring challenges for public-safety positions and said the committee's 2025-aligned salaries aim to reflect current market needs while remaining a tool for long-term growth and internal promotion.

Next steps: the Select Board asked Dion to provide a short list of items staff should check annually and to present the full spreadsheet at the next meeting (the board postponed the full visual presentation after encountering projector problems). The committee plans to disband after delivering the final materials to the board.