Finance, Wage, & Personnel Standing Committee of the RTM Special Meeting

FISTEEN ROPE FERRY ROAD
PHONE: 860-442-0553
WATERFORD, CT 06385-2886
wwwwaterlordctorg
Finance, Wage, & Personnel Standing Committee of the RTM
Special Meeting Agenda
October 26, 2026 
6:00PM
BoE Conference Room, Town Hall
1. Confirmation of Quorum and Call to Order
2. Public Comment
3. Consideration and Action on Minutes of the September 22, 2026, Committee Meeting
4. Consideration of and possible action on items referred to committee:
a. 
Salaries of Elected Officials (RTC 12/2/24)
b, 
Review of Ordinance 3.17 Fleet Management (RTC 8/4/25)
c. 
CIP Approval Process Pilot Program (RTC 6/2/25)
d. 
Budget Transfers Ordinence (10/5/26)
5. Adjournment
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Draft Recommendation

PHONE: 860-442-0553
wwwuraterfordctorg
FIFPFEEN ROPR FERRY ROAD
WATERFORD, CF 06385-2886
Finance, Wage, & Personnel Committee
Meeting Minutes from September 22, 2026
Members Present: JoAnna Bennett, Steve Besade, Kate MacKenzie
Also Present: Town Attorney Kristi Kelly, RTM Moderator Sue Driscoll
1. Confirmation of Quorum and Call to Order
Chair JoAnna Bennett called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
2. Public Comment
Helen Kwasniewski, Waterford citizen, expressed her opinion on the salaries of elected officials, while
stressing the importance of fair tax rates for seniors,
3. Consideration and Action on Minutes of the August 12, 2026, Committee Meeting
Motion by MacKenzie, second by Besade to approve minutes as presented.
Voice vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.
4. Consideration of and possible action on items referred to the committee:
¢ Salaries of Elected Officials (RTC 12/2/24)
* Review of Ordinance 3.17 Fleet Management (RTC 8/4/25) No discussion.
* CiP Approval Process Pilot Program (RTC 6/2/25) No discussion.
The committee reviewed the financial numbers the Chair pulled together for the two final options from
August - both of which include a general wage increase as well as a base increase before election dates.
Attorney Kelly has confirmed that this approach is in line with the Constitution and the approach that West
Hartford takes. After a brief chat about health insurance and pension benefits for full-time officials,
Attorney Kelly noted that we can’t add an extra increase for 2026 since the deadline has passed, Each
present member voted, and with a 2-out-of-3 majority, Option B was chosen. The Chair will weave Option B
into the draft final recommendation for us to review at our next meeting.
5. Adjournment
Consensus to tentatively schedule the next meeting for October 26th.
Motion by Besade, second by MacKenzie to adjourn the meeting at 6:43 p.m. Voice Vote: Unanimous.
Submitted by:
JoAnna Bennett
Chair, Finance, Wage and Personnel Committee

DRAFT October 44,21 2026 (kdk edits)
Recommendation: Wage Increases for Elected Officials Serving Four-Year Terms
I. Purpose and Statutory Authority
Pursuant to the Connecticut State Constitution and legal guidance provided by Town Attorney Kelly,
this proposal seeks to establish a predictable, fair, and legally compliant schedule for the
compensation of paid elected officials serving four-year terms.
Under state law, the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) may only increase compensation for paid
elected officials serving four-year terms once, after the official has completed two years of their
current term. Attorney Kelly shared the model that West Hartford uses, which includes the_
establishment of the salary for the elected position as of the commencement of the term, and
provides for a general wage increase midterm-as-wellas-a-baseinerease—both of which are
established by the Town Council before the start of the upcoming term. Attorney Kelly has
confirmed that this approach is in line with the State. Constitution.
ll. Proposed Wage Adjustment Structure
To balance the necessity of maintaining compensation comparable to that of paid elected: officials in
other towns with the need for fiscal responsibility to the taxpayers, the following adjustment
schedule is proposed:
e 
Base Increase: A fixed 1.5% base increase shall be implemented on the first day of the
upcoming term.
e 
General Wage Increase: A fixed 1.5%.general wage increase shall.be applied after the
elected officials have completed two years of their term.
e 
Effective Dates: To ensure clarity and administrative consistency, raises will be triggered as
follows:
o 
Board of Selectmen and Tax Collector (Terms begin in November):
m 
Base Increase (1.5%): Takes effect on the date when the term starts.
m 
General Wage Increase (1.5%): Takes effect on December 1st immediately
following completion of two years of service.
o 
Town Clerk and Treasurer{Terms begin in January):
m 
Base Increase (1.5%): Takes effect on the date when the term starts.
ma 
General Wage Increase (1.5%): Takes effect on February (st immediately
following completion of two years of service.
lll. Health Benefits and Cost-Sharing
To align salaried elected officials' benefits with town labor standards and ensure equitable contribution,
the following policy continues to apply:
e—Opt-in Requirement: Salaried elected officials who choose to participate in the Town’s
health insurance plan shall be required to pay the samece-share-premium cost-share at the_
same rate approved for the NUMPS (Non-Union Management Personnel). -er-equivalent
bargaining-unit-

DRAFT October 44,21 2026 (kdk edits)
lV. Administrative Oversight
e 
Tracking: The Department of Human Resources shall be responsible for maintaining a
master roster of term start dates and ensuring that both the Base Increase (1.5%) and the
General Wage Increase (1.5%) are implemented at the appropriate date for each official.
e 
Future Review: This policy is intended to provide a long-term framework; however, the RTM
retains the authority to revisit, adjust, or sunset this structure through future legislative action
as economic conditions dictate. it should be noted that state law requires that elected-
adjustmentswhetherinereases-or-decreases;- may-be-implementedno wage increase for an
elected official may be applied retroactively.
V. Proposed Wage Adjustment Schedule
Official 
Election Date 
Implement 1.5% Base 
Implement 1.5%
Increase / Term Starts 
General Wage
Increase
First Selectman and Selectmen 
Nov 2, 2027 
Nov 16, 2027 
Dec 1, 2029
Tax Collector 
Nov 2, 2027 
Nov 16, 2027 
Dec 1; 2029
Town Clerk 
Nov.2, 2027 
Jan 3, 2028 
Feb 1; 2030
Treasurer 
Nov 2, 2027 
Jan3, 2028 
Feb 1, 2030
A
First Selectman and Selectmen 
Nov.4, 2031 
Nov 18, 2031 
Dec 1, 2033
Tax Collector 
Nov 4, 2031 
Nov 18, 2031 
Dec 1, 2033
Town Clerk 
Nov 4, 2031 
Jan 5, 2032 
Feb 1; 2034
Treasurer 
Nov 4, 2031 
Jan 5, 2032 
Feb 1;.2034
a 
ae
First Selectman and Selectmen 
Nov 6, 2035 
Nov 20, 2035 
Dec 1, 2037
‘Tax Collector 
Nov 6, 2035 
Nov 20, 2035 
Dec 1, 2037
Town Clerk 
Nov 6, 2035 
Jan 7, 2036 
Feb 1, 2038
Treasurer 
Nov 6, 2035 
Jan 7, 2036 
Feb 1, 2038
Statutory References:
CT General Statutes Chapter 146 Sec. 9-189 https://www,caa.ct.qov/2025/pub/chap_146.htm#sec_9-187a
* BoS/Tax Collector: term starts by 2nd Tuesday following election
* Town Clerk/Treasurer: term starts on first Monday of Jan following election
Amendment to the CT Constitution 
Article XIX 
Adapted Nov 24, 1982
Except as provided in this section, neither the state nor any political subdivision of the state shall pay or grant to
any elected official of the state or any political subdivision of the slate, any compensation greater than the
amount of compensation set at the beginning of such official’s term of office for the office which such official
holds or increase the pay or compensation of any public contractor above the amount specified in the contract.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to elected officials in towns in which the legislative body is the town
meeting. The compensation of an elected official of a political subdivision of the state whose term of office is four
years or more may be increased once after such official has completed two years of his term by the legislative
body of such political subdivision. The term “compensation” means, with respect to an elected official, such
official's salary, exclusive of reimbursement for necessary expenses or any other benefit to which his office
would entitle him.
https:/www.cga.ct.gov/asp/Conteni/constitutions/Constitution_State_CT.pdf