Raise for Elected Officials on Town Meeting Warrant

As the Board of Selectmen continues proofing the Spring Town Meeting warrant, one of the articles could become a sticking point.

Article 6 would provide a raise that would quadruple the annual stipened for four members of the Board of Selectmen, more than double that of the chairman, and increase the town moderator's stipend by six times what he currently earns.

Those numbers end up being a raise of $2,500 for the chairman (currently earning $2,000), $3,000 for the four other members ($1,000 currently), and a $1,700 raise for the town moderator ($300 currently).

The increases have been recommended by the seven-member Stipends Committee that was created by the selectmen last year after the 2010 Fall Town Meeting voted to petition the state to enact special legislation that would eliminate the town's contribution to elected officials' health insurance.

Senate Bill 1346, An Act Relative to the Contribution of Certain Employees in the Town of Plymouth was signed by Gov. Deval Patrick last November.

The signing means that when their current terms expire, even if they win re-election, Chairman Bill Hallisey and Selectmen Mathew Muratore and Belinda Brewster, and Town Moderator Steven Triffletti, would stop receiving their health insurance benefits from the town. Chairman Hallisey has announced that he will not seek re-election.

Health benefits and stipends have been a point of contention between elected officials and Town Meeting for years. Former selectman Dicky Quintal once threatened to quit the board the night after Town Meeting voted to dispose of stipends. The next night Town Meeting voted to give back the stipend.

In 2010, Town Meeting voted to reduce the salaries to the selectmen from $2,500 for the chairman and $1,500 for the selectmen to the current amounts of $2,000 and $1,000. Moderator Triffletti has petitioned Town Meeting for a raise himself, explaining the work he puts into managing the semi-annual meetings and his other responsibilities as moderator.

The Board of Selectmen meets tonight (Tuesday) at 7 p.m. in the Mayflower Meeting Room at Town Hall.