Haverhill city councilors are scheduled Tuesday night to consider proposed salary increases for several city employee groups and further discuss the administration’s latest solar energy plans.
On the meeting agenda, councilors are being asked to approve pay raises for three city employee groups, including office and technical workers within the water and wastewater departments. That group would receive retroactive 1.5 percent annual raises for the last two fiscal years, between July 1, 2014 and last month, as well as a 1.75 percent salary increase in the new fiscal year which began July 1. Two other groups, non-union and administrative-professional, would also see a 1.75 percent salary increase for the current fiscal year.
Also, the council will consider approving a plan to buy electricity from Seaboard Solar Holdings, New Milford, Conn. The 20-year agreement would allow the city’s water and sewer departments to buy power at 12 cents per kilowatt hour from a solar array in Oxford, Mass. The contract is “identical” to a power purchase agreement previously approved by the council with Lodestar Energy, Avon, Conn., according to Mayor James J. Fiorentini. It was placed on file by the council two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, City Purchasing Agent and Energy Manager Orlando Pacheco, who was away on vacation during the last council meeting, is expected to update the council Tuesday on Seaboard and other solar-related items. Councilors postponed a vote on plans by Solect Energy Development, Hopkinton, to add rooftop solar arrays at city hall and the new Elmo D’Alessandro Fleet Maintenance Garage. In addition, Councilor Melinda E. Barrett sought more information on possible reconsideration of the Haverhill High School rooftop solar project, rejected last month by the Haverhill School Committee in a three to three tie vote.
The Haverhill City Council meets at 7 p.m., Tuesday, in Theodore A. Pelosi Jr. Council Chambers at Haverhill City Hall.
BULLSHIT
1.5% and the 1.75%. I wonder if the city councilor a will get that for a raise!?!?
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander…
As the saying goes, if you don’t like , don’t let the door hit you …….
Where is the money for salary increases to come from?????? Has anyone looked at whether or not the City of Haverhill can afford to grant salary increases? And what about the unfunded pension and healthcare liabilities that the City allows to grow, and grow, and grow??
No kidding huh ? RETROACTIVE back to 2014 ??? Interesting. I wonder what is going on here ? Maybe a bit of political payback or just a lapse in dealing with the issue for so long ?
While I haven’t looked in a while, simply because of the futility and lack of Americans that care, some of the bond issuance’s actually account for raises. I read one a while ago for here that had raises set at appx. 4%, but again, not enough care to do anything about it.
While The People of Massachusetts fall further behind, local and Beacon Hill pols issue more & more debt (as revenue) to pay the bills (and raises).
There’s a simple graph that displays what compounding math and exponents do in relation to debt and revenue/GDP/taxes, and because they are at two different rates (debt being higher), it compounds and runs away. It’s math, and math wins, every time.