Mayor Salary Review Costs More Than Mayor Salary Raise

The Town Council spent more money deciding how much of a pay increase to give Braintree's mayor than the salary will actually jump next January.

From last summer, when Councilor John Mullaney proposed boosting the mayor's salary from $105,000 to $130,000, to February, when , Town Auditor Eric Kinsherf billed the town $21,556.25 for his CPA firm's efforts on the proposal.

Working with Ways & Means Chair Paul "Dan" Clifford, Kinsherf and his staff put in 253 hours at an average of $85.17 per hour. Along with other projects, that puts Kinsherf's total charges so far this fiscal year at $31,818.

Kinsherf's contract with the town allows him to charge up to $74,000 during this fiscal year. He is allowed to perform work beyond that cap, but cannot bill the town for it.

Mullaney, who criticized the lengthy review process as a delaying mechanism, called the cost to prepare the mayor's salary report excessive.

"It's not necessary," Mullaney, a former Ways & Means Chair, said. "It was a waste of time."

During the previous four years, Kinsherf did not bill the maximum allowed under his contract, a situation that could arise by the end of June as budget season approaches.

"You've already lost" if you get to the cap, Mullaney said.

From fiscal year 2009 through last year, Kinsherf's charges were $36,156, $66,844, $34,281 and then $32,150, under the first year of Clifford's Ways & Means leadership, Mullaney said.

The salary review produced a 242-page report that contains extensive data about Braintree and other towns. Clifford used it to propose a new salary of a salary of $117,890, based on the average annual 2 percent increases that have been negotiated in past years by Braintree's unions.

But Clifford said the review holds much more value than just coming up with a fair salary. Within the report, Clifford and Kinsherf used a variety of factors to compare Braintree to other towns when it comes to budget size, population, number of government employees, capital plans and other areas.

"It is rich in data which can benefit Braintree greatly," Clifford said.

For example, the upcoming debate over the meals tax will include discussion of how it could affect Braintree residents versus out-of-towners. Using data from the state Department of Revenue and applying their own analysis, Clifford and Kinsherf determined an estimate of how many people work in Braintree from elsewhere and how many stop by while passing through.

That information, Clifford said, will be helpful when assessing the impact of a potential increased meals tax on Braintree residents.

"I challenge every councilor to go through those 242 pages and bring forward the best practices they see," he said.

Correction: This article has been updated to more accurately reflect the auditor's charges over the last five years and the starting proposal of $130,000.