Tisbury COA corrects budget lines and seeks new assistant director role amid union pay concerns

Catie Blake, director of the Council on Aging, told the Tisbury Finance and Advisory Committee that errors in the department's FY2027 budget arose from unfamiliarity with Munis and possible double‑counting of cost‑of‑living adjustments. She provided corrected full‑time salary figures — Activities Director $88,672 and Outreach Coordinator $73,230 — totaling $162,520.48 and said the seasonal/temporary line was reclassified to part‑time permanent receptionists totaling $46,416.

FinCom members pressed the COA on personnel accounting and a proposed Management & Professional (M&P) Assistant Director position intended to provide continuity when the director is absent and to serve in succession planning. The plan would move the current Activities Director into the Assistant Director slot while keeping the Activities Director position on the books but unfilled. Members warned that retaining an unfilled position risks it being filled mid‑year without further committee oversight because residual funds could be used, and noted the town's history of unfilled/unfunded positions being later filled.

Committee members also raised concerns about recent collective bargaining changes that shifted compensation: following the new contract the Activities Director position would earn about $4,000 more than the proposed M&P Assistant Director. FinCom described several recent union→M&P shifts in town that could be construed as anti‑union moves and asked COA and Personnel to clarify pay differentials. The committee asked COA Director Blake to work with Finance Director Elena De Foe and Pam Bennett (Human Resources Coordinator) to correct budget salaries and to document revenue (grants) in the budget narrative.