New Bedford’s mayor wants to scale back these employees’ pay raises and longevity benefits

NEW BEDFORD – Mayor Jon Mitchell wants to see 20 raises awarded by recent City Council vote to management employees scaled back to what he initially requested.

He sent a proposed ordinance to the City Council on Thursday, Feb. 16 that would make the change. He said the council’s increases were “two or more grades beyond” his initial proposal in October.

In several instances, they were excessive, he said.

The positions are assistant city clerk, assistant city council clerk, assistant director of cable access, chief videographer, clerk of committees, community and historic preservation planner, director of cable access, director of community services, director of council on aging, director of grants and finance, director of inspectional services, director of leash law, director of licensing, director of parking, director of purchasing, director of veterans services, legislative counsel, neighborhood planner, supervising public health nurse, and videographer/tech assistant.

He said the council’s decision wasn’t supported by the city’s labor market analysis.

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That study was performed to bring New Bedford employee salaries in line with salaries paid in Boston, Providence, Fall River, Worcester, Dartmouth, Springfield, Quincy, Taunton, Barnstable, and Brockton for similar positions.

Another comparable analysis was performed without Boston, Providence, and Quincy.

The initial study, which was then retooled by the council, would have given city employees in management posts at least a 5% pay raise, with most in the 10% range. It would have also put them in the middle of pay rates of the other communities studied, according to City Personnel Director Judith Keating.

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The increases in pay to the approximately 150 non-union management personnel, termed Unit C employees, were designed to keep and attract top-flight employees.

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Keating said the city lost over 45 candidates for leadership positions to other communities in just 10 months in 2022.

Council adjustments to the proposal, however, provided raises from $38,000 to $50,000 to three of the affected city employees – or 32% to 42%. That drew resident complaints. Five other employee raises were said to top 25% in the initial council version.

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Councilors readjusted the pay rates in January to make them more in line with the initial proposal. There were no increases greater than 25% of a recipient’s salary.

Mitchell’s proposed ordinance to amend the decision would bring the rate increases more in line with the initial proposal, based on the market analysis presented in October.

Mitchell is also proposing five additional ordinances to amend the Unit C employee pay structure.

They would repeal “excessive and unnecessary” longevity benefits awarded by the council; repeal the 10% pay penalty for non-resident employees; give the administration pay-rate flexibility in new employee negotiations without council OK; establish a three-year salary review; and make pay increases retroactive to when an employee started with the city after Oct. 1, 2022 instead of all being retroactive to Oct. 1, 2022.

Mitchell said the last amendment would save the city $808,000.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Mayor Jon Mitchell: City Council-OK’d employee pay raises too high