Council Considers Raises for Mayor, Council, Other Officials

A City Council committee is set to restart consideration of possible raises in the salaries of the office of mayor, Council and other city officials.

The City Charter provides for a process in which the Council,

shall review, establish and Act upon in even-numbered years the rates of compensation for (1) the members of the succeeding Common Council, (2) the Mayor, (3) the Collector of Taxes, (4) the City and Town Clerk, (5) the Registrars of Voters, (6) the Corporation Counsel, (7) the Clerk of Committees, (8) the Treasurer and (9) other officers, department heads and employees subject to the provisions of the budget contract, collective bargaining agreement or other agreement.

City ordinances provide for the appointment of a Compensation Committee of the Council, to, “undertake a study in order to make a recommendation with respect to a salary adjustment for elected and appointed officials.”

The Council’s Compensation Committee is to consider raises for the different officials and report its recommendations back to the full Council. The Council could, then, refer the recommendations to another of its committees for further consideration.

That committee had meetings planned in March, but those were, “postponed until further notice,” at that time.

Now, the Compensation Committee is scheduled to meet tonight, August 13th, and on 17th and 18th, 2020. The meetings are at 7:00pm in the Council Chambers in City Hall. The live stream of the meeting can be accessed at: http://newbritainct.gov/gov/common_council/agenda_minutes_live_stream_n_video.htm.

The positions raises for which are up for consideration tonight, August 13th, are Mayor, City Council, Town Clerk and City Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer.

The city budget provides that the Republican Mayor Erin Stewart’s salary is $87,971, the salary of Tax Collector Cheryl Blogoslawski (R) is listed as $70,772, the salary of City Clerk Mark Bernacki (R) is listed as $68,305 and the salary of the two city registrars of voters, Lucian Pawlak (D) and Peter Gostin (R) are listed as $54,626.

The City Corporation Counsel Gennaro Bizzarro, an appointee of Stewart, a part-time position, is listed with a salary of $31,978. Bizzarro is also a State Senator.

Clerk of Committees Matt Malinowski, also a part-time position, is listed with a salary of $11,718. The salary of City Treasurer Ron Jakubowski (D) is listed as $2,500. Members of the City Council have a salary of $3,500, except the President Pro-Tempore, Kristian Rosado, whose salary is $4,500.

Any raises approved for the mayor, Council and other officials would take effect after the next city elections, in 2021.