West Springfield Town Council settles salaries for 2016

Date: 12/19/2014

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Despite initially voting not to override Mayor Edward Sullivan’s veto against raising his salary to $110,000, the West Springfield Town Council ultimately agreed for the increase to remain the same.

The council allowed the mayor’s veto on his own salary to pass, but after suspending the rules, the council could not agree on an appropriate figure. Six different salaries were voted on before the council ended up right where it started.

“I’m going to need more sheets,” Town Council President John Sweeney said, joking about tallying the votes. “I didn’t expect that.”

Sullivan originally vetoed the $110,000 salary after looking over the budget.

“We’re in the beginning in the budgetary process,” Sullivan said. “However, finishing out the first year, the end of the last fiscal year and the beginning half of this fiscal year, certain things come to light that you know you’re going to need some funding for.”

While the mayor’s salary ordinance split votes every which way, the town council voted unanimously to keep the town council salary at $8,000 and to give the school committee a raise for the first time since 2006. 

The proposed salary for the school committee was $5,000, but when the town council remained at $8,000, Council Vice President Brian Griffin suggested the new salary be half of the town council’s. Though it was brought down to $4,000, it is still a raise for the current salary of $3,000.

The new salary ordinances will be effective beginning in 2016.