Weston For Fiscal Responsibility |
Weston for Fiscal Responsibility (WFFR) is a bi-partisan coalition
promoting enhanced participation of Weston citizens in town
budgetary matters. Formed in 2009, WFFR supports Weston's
tradition of outstanding municipal and educational services while
simultaneously advocating fiscal responsibility, accountability and
transparency.
promoting enhanced participation of Weston citizens in town
budgetary matters. Formed in 2009, WFFR supports Weston's
tradition of outstanding municipal and educational services while
simultaneously advocating fiscal responsibility, accountability and
transparency.
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Administrative salaries
School board upholds pay hikes
by Patricia Gay
Weston Forum 8/26/2010
In a 4-3 vote on Monday night, the Weston school board re-affirmed pay raises for
Superintendent Jerry Belair, Assistant Superintendent Tom Scarice, and Jo-Ann
Keating, director of finance and operations.
The vote confirmed the school board's vote on July 26, to give a 7.5% increase to
Mr. Belair for the 2010-11 fiscal year, and 4% raises to Mr. Scarice and Dr. Keating.
However, following the July vote, there was a loud public outcry that the raises were
too high in light of the poor economy and in comparison to raises given to other town
and school employees, which averaged less than 2%.
Since July, the board held two executive session special meetings to discuss the
raises before ultimately deciding to re-affirm them.
Members of the public attending Monday's meeting were generally disappointed that
the board did not change its position and lower the raises (see related story).
Lengthy motion
Ellen Uzenoff, school board vice chairman, made a lengthy motion Monday night
which gained the majority of the board's votes. It includes an explanation of the
board's actions as well as an apology to the community:
"Whereas the board understands the difficult economic conditions affecting the town
and its residents; and
"Whereas the board also recognizes that providing salary and benefits that attract
and retain highly qualified district leaders serves an important public interest for all of
Weston by ensuring that the Weston public schools continue to provide a
high-quality education, and the votes taken on July 26 were intended to promote that
public interest; and
"Whereas the increase provided to the superintendent by the board's vote on July
26 was part of a long-standing plan to increase the superintendent's salary to be
closer to the average of superintendent salaries in Weston's District Reference
Group (DRG), and
"Now therefore, it is moved that: The board apologizes for the legitimate concerns it
caused the community by approving these increases at this time, and it is further
moved that: The board reaffirms its prior votes in light of the promises it made
thereby in good faith to these important and valued employees."
Voting against the motion were Democrats Dick Bochinski, Denise Harvey, and Phil
Schaefer, school board chairman.
Amendment
Before the motion was voted on, Mr. Bochinski attempted to amend just the last
sentence of the motion by reducing the superintendent's salary increase to 4%. "I
think we overshot the mark and some of the increases should be modified," he saId.
Ms. Harvey seconded the amendment, saying she had initially felt the raises were
too high and she needed to be accountable to the community. Quoting Winston
Churchill, she said, "All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from them."
Mr. Bochinski and Ms. Harvey were the only ones to vote in favor of the amendment,
and it failed 5-2.
Mr. Schaefer said he couldn't fully support either side. He voted with the minority in
opposition to the original motion, and sided with the majority in voting down the
proposed amendment.
He said he preferred a plan to "phase in" the superintendent's 7.5% salary increase
over a period of time.
"While all of the individual board member's remarks were quite eloquent and from
the heart, I believed that a 'middle ground' position was more in order," Mr. Shaefer
said after the meeting on Tuesday. "Although the concept of 'deferring' a portion of
a raise is not something that should be used going forward, due to what has
transpired over the last month in Weston, an exception could have been made in that
regard for tiering the already approved raises over a few years," he said.
Board members supporting the motion said the superintendent's 7.5% raise was
necessary in order to bring him in line with other superintendents in Weston's DRG
(District Reference Group).
Critics of the school board's line of reasoning have said the superintendent's salary
should not have been compared to just the five towns in the DRG -- which are the
wealthiest towns in the state--but with other towns in Fairfield County, as is stated in
the superintendent's contract.
Ms. Stack, who was elected to the school board in November, said when she first
joined the board she knew an adjustment to the superintendent's salary was on the
horizon and that she would take heat for her decision. "I know people are angry.
We're taxpayers too. But looking at the decision, I think it is fair and wise," she said.
Mr. Wolf said the board's decision was not arbitrary or capricious and in actual
dollars had little impact on the school budget or the mill rate.
Ms. Levin said she felt compelled to vote in favor of the motion because she had also
voted for the increase at the July meeting and didn't feel she could go back on a
promise once it had been made.
The final approved salary for the superintendent in 2010-11 is $232,458. In addition
to the 7.5% increase, it includes a 2% deferred increase from the previous year.
The assistant superintendent will get $168,667 in 2010-11, while the director of
finance and operations will get $169,705.
School board upholds pay hikes
by Patricia Gay
Weston Forum 8/26/2010
In a 4-3 vote on Monday night, the Weston school board re-affirmed pay raises for
Superintendent Jerry Belair, Assistant Superintendent Tom Scarice, and Jo-Ann
Keating, director of finance and operations.
The vote confirmed the school board's vote on July 26, to give a 7.5% increase to
Mr. Belair for the 2010-11 fiscal year, and 4% raises to Mr. Scarice and Dr. Keating.
However, following the July vote, there was a loud public outcry that the raises were
too high in light of the poor economy and in comparison to raises given to other town
and school employees, which averaged less than 2%.
Since July, the board held two executive session special meetings to discuss the
raises before ultimately deciding to re-affirm them.
Members of the public attending Monday's meeting were generally disappointed that
the board did not change its position and lower the raises (see related story).
Lengthy motion
Ellen Uzenoff, school board vice chairman, made a lengthy motion Monday night
which gained the majority of the board's votes. It includes an explanation of the
board's actions as well as an apology to the community:
"Whereas the board understands the difficult economic conditions affecting the town
and its residents; and
"Whereas the board also recognizes that providing salary and benefits that attract
and retain highly qualified district leaders serves an important public interest for all of
Weston by ensuring that the Weston public schools continue to provide a
high-quality education, and the votes taken on July 26 were intended to promote that
public interest; and
"Whereas the increase provided to the superintendent by the board's vote on July
26 was part of a long-standing plan to increase the superintendent's salary to be
closer to the average of superintendent salaries in Weston's District Reference
Group (DRG), and
"Now therefore, it is moved that: The board apologizes for the legitimate concerns it
caused the community by approving these increases at this time, and it is further
moved that: The board reaffirms its prior votes in light of the promises it made
thereby in good faith to these important and valued employees."
Voting against the motion were Democrats Dick Bochinski, Denise Harvey, and Phil
Schaefer, school board chairman.
Amendment
Before the motion was voted on, Mr. Bochinski attempted to amend just the last
sentence of the motion by reducing the superintendent's salary increase to 4%. "I
think we overshot the mark and some of the increases should be modified," he saId.
Ms. Harvey seconded the amendment, saying she had initially felt the raises were
too high and she needed to be accountable to the community. Quoting Winston
Churchill, she said, "All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from them."
Mr. Bochinski and Ms. Harvey were the only ones to vote in favor of the amendment,
and it failed 5-2.
Mr. Schaefer said he couldn't fully support either side. He voted with the minority in
opposition to the original motion, and sided with the majority in voting down the
proposed amendment.
He said he preferred a plan to "phase in" the superintendent's 7.5% salary increase
over a period of time.
"While all of the individual board member's remarks were quite eloquent and from
the heart, I believed that a 'middle ground' position was more in order," Mr. Shaefer
said after the meeting on Tuesday. "Although the concept of 'deferring' a portion of
a raise is not something that should be used going forward, due to what has
transpired over the last month in Weston, an exception could have been made in that
regard for tiering the already approved raises over a few years," he said.
Board members supporting the motion said the superintendent's 7.5% raise was
necessary in order to bring him in line with other superintendents in Weston's DRG
(District Reference Group).
Critics of the school board's line of reasoning have said the superintendent's salary
should not have been compared to just the five towns in the DRG -- which are the
wealthiest towns in the state--but with other towns in Fairfield County, as is stated in
the superintendent's contract.
Ms. Stack, who was elected to the school board in November, said when she first
joined the board she knew an adjustment to the superintendent's salary was on the
horizon and that she would take heat for her decision. "I know people are angry.
We're taxpayers too. But looking at the decision, I think it is fair and wise," she said.
Mr. Wolf said the board's decision was not arbitrary or capricious and in actual
dollars had little impact on the school budget or the mill rate.
Ms. Levin said she felt compelled to vote in favor of the motion because she had also
voted for the increase at the July meeting and didn't feel she could go back on a
promise once it had been made.
The final approved salary for the superintendent in 2010-11 is $232,458. In addition
to the 7.5% increase, it includes a 2% deferred increase from the previous year.
The assistant superintendent will get $168,667 in 2010-11, while the director of
finance and operations will get $169,705.
Breaking news on the recent pay hikes for administrative
salaries...
for related articles and opinions click on the buttons to your left specifically News and
Letters to the Editor.
salaries...
for related articles and opinions click on the buttons to your left specifically News and
Letters to the Editor.