Though it might add approximately $70,000 to the town budget, the Rochester Finance Committee Monday approved recommending a 3% Cost of Living Adjustment increase for all contract town employees for Fiscal Year 2025.
The vote came after Finance Director Suzanne Szyndlar advised the board to set the COLA figure right away so the committee will know what salary increases they are dealing with when they work their way through building the FY25 budget.
Town Administrator Glenn Cannon added that he and the Select Board prefer voting the increase now for that very reason. The increase must be approved by the Select Board at its next meeting on Tuesday, February 20.
Szyndlar said a 3% increase will add $70,000 to the town budget; a 2.5% increase would have added $60,000.
The discussion began with Szyndlar’s overview of what the town knows now about budget year 2025. Szyndlar she said she is presently working with a lot of estimates and level-funding of every department without a specific budget request. Even with that approach, the town is short $120,000 on the revenue side. “This will be a tougher year than normal,” she said. “We are looking at a lot of nickel-and-dime-ing this year.”
David Arancio was the lone Finance Committee member to abstain from voting for the increase, protesting that the decision was being made too soon after receiving the budget information. “To set it at 3% five minutes after getting all this information is not ideal,” he said. “My hesitation is that I never like to make a quick decision like that.”
Before seeking a motion for the vote, Finance Committee Chairman Kristian Stoltenberg asked what is the current Federal Consumer Price Index, a barometer of the country’s cost-of-living level. Board member Justin Bouley noted the CPI is, in fact, around 3%.
Stoltenberg seemed satisfied. “I see no advantage to defer the decision,” he said. “Three percent is a reasonable reflection of the CPI. And we’re all here now.”
In other action, Stoltenberg was reappointed chairman but announced this will be his last year on the FinCom. “I said I’d serve a maximum of 39 years, and this is my 39th year,” he said. “A friend brought me here then, and I’ve been here ever since. There will be opportunities next year for other people to step up.”
The committee appointed James Austin as vice chairman and Arancio as secretary with assistance from Bouley, a new member.
Cannon announced another retirement from the town’s financial services departments, as the committee reviewed and approved several department budgets that will not include COLA increases. He advised the committee that funds should be added to the Finance Director account for FY25 because this will be Szyndlar’s last year at town hall; the former town administrator and town accountant will soon retire from the job that was created to keep her on when she stepped down from the town administrator role. Cannon explained the funds will be needed to find Szyndlar’s replacement and hire and train any temporary replacements.
The Finance Committee will next meet on Monday, March 4, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.
Rochester Finance Committee
By Michael J. DeCicco