Concord City Manager Receives ‘Satisfactory’ Review, 2.5% Raise, But Sabbatical Request Gets Trimmed

CONCORD, NH — Two out of three ain’t bad, as the song goes, but not without a bit of arguing.

Long-time City Manager Tom Aspell received a “satisfactory” rating from the Concord City Council after approval of his annual review on Monday night. He will also receive a 2.5 percent cost-of-living raise during the next year. However, the three-month sabbatical Aspell requested earlier this month was shortened to six weeks.

Jennifer Kretovic, the Ward 3 city councilor, served as the chairwoman of the city manager evaluation committee, which recommended the satisfactory rating.

Kretovic said there was some confusion among the public about the role of a councilor. Councilors, she noted, are responsible for four functions: establishing policy, adopting the budget, setting priorities for the city manager, and evaluating his performance. The city manager serves at the direction of the councilors, Kretovic said, and is responsible for supervising employees and implementing policies.

The review, she added, did not require councilors to agree with every decision made or with how they were implemented. It is also not the process to “relitigate votes taken by this body.”

The committee, she said, followed a set structure, “which has evolved over time,” after eyeing performance evaluations by the councilors. The same process, Kretovic said, was used with every city employee, and all those performance reviews are kept from the public.

Kretovic said Aspell had accomplished a lot during the past year, including beginning the construction of a police station, preserving the city’s bond rating, and keeping the city functioning during an environment where finding good employees was difficult.

Ward 5 Concord City Councilor Stacey Brown said she would vote against the satisfactory recommendation, claiming Aspell approved $5.4 million in reserve fund transfers without oversight by the trustees of the trust funds. She also said he approved the cutting of more than 250 trees at Memorial Field.

“That’s a resource we won’t get back for centuries,” she said.

Brown also accused Aspell of mismanaging city employees. She requested a separate evaluation she submitted in May be included with the findings and Aspell’s file.

At-Large Councilor Fred Keach asked, in a point of order, if Brown was allowed to participate in nonpublic meetings concerning the evaluation. While he did not mention it, concerns had previously been raised about whether Brown should be able to participate in the review of the city manager, since Aspell has the authority to promote and fire her husband, a police detective.

“She was,” Mayor Byron Champlin said.

Champlin said he would vote in favor of the recommendation, noting that, in a year of challenges, Aspell offered creative solutions and got the city through them.

Ward 4 City Councilor Mark Davie asked, “for the public’s transparency,” what the voting option was for councilors who offered no opinion during the nonpublic sessions. Champlin said there was no neutral option; it was either for or against the recommendation.

“The city council rules do not allow the option to not to vote unless you’re recusing yourself for conflict-of-interest purposes,” Champlin said.

Brown requested a roll call vote, and the satisfactory recommendation was approved 13-1.

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A 2.5% Cost-Of-Living Increase

After approving the satisfactory recommendation, Kretovic moved to approve a 2.5 percent wage increase for Aspell.

Kretovic said Aspell’s contract allowed for a 2 to 5 percent pay increase, and he was requesting 2.5 percent, which was toward the minimum amount required annually. She said Aspell had been a dynamic leader who put the organization ahead of his own personal interests.

“To suggest that the city manager is somehow tone-deaf to the financial challenges facing our residents is to misunderstand the kind of leader he has consistently proven himself to be,” Kretovic said. “Every day, he bears responsibility for ensuring that hundreds of our city employees receive a paycheck, that essential services continue uninterrupted, and that taxpayer dollars are managed responsibly.”

Employee pay raises were made last year, ranging from 5 to 5.5 percent, she said. Kretovic said the city was working to close the gap by aligning pay scales with the marketplace. To pay for the pay raises and limit the tax rate, cuts were made across every department, she added.

During Kretovic’s remarks about the raise, at least two people who attended the meeting to support firefighters upset over stalled contract renegotiations scoffed at her comments, prompting glares from some councilors at the audience.

Kretovic said Concord remains one of the best places to live because the council consistently invests in public services and “quality of life that defines our community.”

Brown said she would vote against the pay increase, noting his 2025 base pay was $222,000. She said Aspell’s pay was “the most generous package” of any city manager in the state. Brown added the city paid 100 percent of health care premiums for him and his wife, something other city managers or employees did not receive, and that he had 12 months of severance pay, while the standard was 6 months.

“I do not believe that a 2.5 percent increase is warranted and, per his contract, it is subject to the city council’s sole discretion. I think it’s a slap in the face to our community members to say someone with such a generous package deserves 2.5 percent (more) on top of ($222,000).”

Keach said he would support the motion and cautioned councilors to do their own research, since Brown often made inaccurate statements.

“She has a long history of promoting inaccurate facts,” he said.

Brown tried to interrupt, an unidentified councilor requested a point of order, and others gasped.

Keach then said, “Let me finish, please, councilor.”

Brown, instead, said, “You’re lying.”

Keach then said, “I would urge the council to do its own research, gather their own facts, ask their own questions.”

Ward 1 City Councilor Brent Todd followed up on Keach’s remarks, stating he looked up the salary of a city manager on a website and found the median to be $197,000 nationally, not including benefits. Considering Aspell has worked for the city for more than 25 years and has been the manager for 20 of those years, he said the salary was not off the mark.

“I’m going to be supporting it,” he said.

Ward 9 City Councilor Kris Schultz said she had done extensive research on wage issues and represented many low- and medium-wage workers who were renters or in senior housing.

“It’s not personal,” she said, before announcing her opposition to the 2.5 percent increase.

Schultz said she “highly respects” Aspell, too, but there was a “dissonance between reality” when eyeing what the public and city employees were earning.

Ward 6 City Council Aislinn Kalob, too, would not be voting for the increase, saying it had been “heavily on my mind since we’ve had our nonpublic sessions,” which lasted about six hours of work. She appreciated Kretovic clearly outlining the job of city manager. But people were frustrated with the city manager, and she saw that in the comments in online forums.

“I do feel, after really digging into this, and learning about his job,” she said, “and thinking toward the future when, eventually, at some point, somebody new will be sitting in that seat, we are the ones who direct policy and he is the one that implements it… there is anger out there that should be directed more toward us.”

Kalob said, too, a room full of firefighters, upset about their contract, also made voting for the wage increase something she could not consider.

Michele Horne of Ward 2 echoed similar concerns to Schultz, saying there was significant “wage disparity” between the public and staff and the city manager. She also agreed with Kalob’s point that previous councils created this contract.

Champlin said he would vote for the increase and, contractually, that the council was required to provide a 2 to 5 percent cost-of-living increase.

“The city manager’s job is a 24/7 job,” the mayor said. “I have received calls from the city manager at almost every time during the day (including weekends). I’ve also received calls when he was supposed to be on vacation. He is a dedicated individual who has committed more than two decades of his life to the betterment of this city, under the direction of various city councils and various city councilors, and has provided consistently high-quality leadership.”

A roll-call vote was requested, and Brown interjected the contract did not stipulate an automatic wage increase, but one that was at the sole discretion of the council.

“It is subject to the city council’s sole discretion,” she said. “We are not required to provide an increase.”

John Conforti, legal counsel for the city, was asked to provide clarification on the contract.

When looking at the contract, he said there were “guardrails” of between 2 and 5 percent for an annual cost-of-living increase to be provided to Aspell.

Brown countered that, in her reading, the increases were not required; raises had to be between 2 and 5 percent if the council chose to offer one. She continued to raise the issue and Judith Kurtz, an at-large councilor, said, “He just said it… he just confirmed we have to give a COLA of 2 to 5. He just answered you.”

Brown countered, “That’s not how I heard it.”

Kurtz then said, “Well, let’s hear it again.”

Conforti then confirmed it was a required 2 to 5 percent.

The raise was then approved by a 10 to 4 vote.

3 Month Sabbatical Request Reduced

Aspell’s request for a three-month sabbatical was then discussed.

Kretovic said she supported the recommendation calling public service “demanding.” She said, while it was allowed in his contract, he had never used it. Aspell, Kretovic said, had provided leadership and effective governance.

Kretovic, however, shifted gears, saying it was her opinion and the opinion of others in the community that the culture of the council had eroded, and the days of disagreeing on policy but having mutual respect had changed. This change was felt outside of the council meetings, she said. Kretovic said to balance its budget without large tax increases, the city needed around $55 million in new tax growth each year. Businesses, she noted, were watching the council, looking for stability and professionalism.

“The tone that we set at this table speaks as loudly as the policies we adopt,” she said.

Kretovic appeared to be critical of some of her colleagues who directed attacks at city employees, which she said would harm retention. Voters, she said, expected councilors to focus on priorities like economic development and property tax relief. Disrespect toward employees and community partners “sends the wrong message about the values of this governing body.”

Kretovic said, after serving on the council and volunteering in the community for more than four decades, she believed professionalism was needed. She added the Rules Committee, which she is chairwoman of, was working on a draft for a city council code of conduct.

At least one person in the audience began guffawing loudly after that comment.

“The fact that we need to establish written expectations for professionalism, civility, and respectful conduct should give everyone a moment of pause,” she said.

Kretovic also wondered what other employees would think if the council disregarded a contractual benefit that was negotiated in good faith and approved years ago. She said Aspell “so richly deserved” the ability to take advantage of the provision to contemplate his retirement.

Champlin moved to modify the dates of the sabbatical to run from July to Oct. 18 to July 20 to Aug. 31, which was approved with one No vote by Brown.

Brown, not unlike the raise issue, said the sabbatical was a request they could approve, not a requirement. She said it was a bad time for Aspell to be taking leave with all that was going on, including major projects, employee contracts, and the reevaluation project, while the city was also losing its finance director, Deputy City Manager-Finance Brian LeBrun.

After Brown spoke, Keach said he would be voting for the sabbatical but added he was confused by Brown’s comments.

“A minute ago,” he said, “you voted him unsatisfactory and now you want around for another six months.”

Keach added, “I don’t understand,” to laughs from his colleagues.

Nathan Fennessey, another at-large councilor, said the contract allowed Aspell to take the sabbatical and there was “no good time” for a city manager to take it. He said he would support it and the reduction to six weeks was a reasonable request.

At-Large Councilor Amanda Grady Sexton asked for clarification on Brown’s contention they did not need to approve it.

Conforti said there was some discretion, but it was “quite limited” in that the council needed a good reason to deny the request.

Kretovic asked if the federal Family and Medical Leave Act could be used in a qualifying event, and Conforti said it was separate from a sabbatical.

Schultz asked who would be leading the city in Aspell’s absence and Champlin said LeBrun would.

Grady Sexton asked if there was a plan in place, and Champlin said employees would report to their normal supervisors, but those who reported to Aspell would report to LeBrun. When asked whether there was an emergency document in place, Champlin said Aspell would be available if one occurred.

Brown suggested it was not unreasonable to defer the request until after taxpayers received their bills in November. She suggested the sabbatical should wait until 2027, calling the reevaluation “an extreme event.”

Kurtz said she would support the sabbatical, as Aspell had skipped two other opportunities to take it after it was added to his contract. His salary remains the same, she said. Kurtz called it reasonable that he modified the duration. She added that between December and June, Aspell and other city employees focus on budget work in addition to their normal duties.

Grady Sexton asked Aspell directly if there was a contingency plan in place for councilors and he said he was not putting one together. She said she could not support a sabbatical request without a plan prepared for the council. Aspell said there was a continuity of operations plan in place. When he had a medical issue and was in the hospital, that plan was put in place. Aspell said he had “full confidence in the staff” to handle things while he was gone.

Todd also said he would support the issue and was confident with LeBrun taking the helm temporarily. He said other city managers in New Hampshire have taken similar sabbaticals.

Aspell corrected Kurtz, for the record, saying he had skipped five other opportunities to take the sabbatical. He said the vote also showed support for the staff and department heads.

“If you don’t think they can manage things properly and do a good job, I ask you to take another look,” he said. “Because this would be an indictment of their ability to do their jobs. So please, understand that when you vote.”

Grady Sexton countered there were several vacancies and her concern was, in no way, an indictment of staff. She also requested a copy of the continuity of operations plan. Aspell said Fire Chief John Chisolm had a copy and could make it available.

By voice vote, the sabbatical was approved with what sounded like a single no vote by Brown.

LeBrun reportedly gave his notice for the end of July. Instead, he will be staying on through the sabbatical.

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