[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6359634,"mediaKeyId","2176301-6da3a82c5b8f8a7b9949a8757202e8cd","parentId",2176301,"title","Somerville proposes new nonunion pay framework with $65,000 minimum; councilors press for elected and commission pay changes","audioSeconds",6560,"startMs",3668000,"endMs",10228000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2176301-6da3a82c5b8f8a7b9949a8757202e8cd&start=3668&end=10228","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2176301-6da3a82c5b8f8a7b9949a8757202e8cd/thumbnail_3668000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6359634/Somerville-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Somerville-proposes-new-nonunion-pay-framework-with-65000-minimum-councilors-press-for-elected-and-commission-pay-changes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359634-c2d275754b66192ada9a812435095c8c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771123655&Signature=Wx623O9by6XuG~uBIhGs9KBGENp4J7Nf7NbpsEQy5-a-hJqANJQZBkiTazHxQNuB7aZl8-siBkMfT3p47g1-aqGmC6KWyONyXTLnWmIbhuh25xhRJvliF7Q6-A~FpNoeR3Dntnq8EsSO9lW6TLbQMRfdHgBW0u~uBDLCBb617vcMcxqR2Y3e6-7v6DwAZRpfx2InnLll0NiEffGUvvOpiUPkGzaomhXU6-dIapC7Q3vRBI5ogiX1Xr~KWpKenjLIkuXiLqeFejMet14KWDWyT~rI~pVeX3mKq4WyLRRLLNAaza-obA7P-fscm99Px84Qf5Ps1yH2mSoPXu2vbVseNw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Somerville City, MA","date","2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","article","Somerville — City human resources and budget officials presented a proposed nonunion classification and compensation plan to the Finance Committee on Jan. 30 that would reorganize job grades into six pay bands, create separate tracks for credentialed professions and raise the minimum starting salary in the lowest band to $65,000 per year.

“The beginning compensation for [band 1] will be $65,000 per year,” Anne Gill, Somerville’s director of human resources, told councilors. Gill described the study as a multi‑year, consultant‑led effort that evaluated approximately 575 unique positions, used a 13‑criteria job evaluation, and compared Somerville to a set of peer municipalities. The study’s core goals, Gill said, were clarity, equity and improved recruitment and retention.

Nut graf: The administration’s proposal would significantly boost pay at the low end of the nonunion scale and create new professional tracks for credentialed fields (an “S‑track” for roles requiring specific credentials and an “M‑track” for licensed engineers and solicitors). The plan also proposes stipends or pay adjustments for some boards and commissions, while recommending no change to city council, school committee or mayoral salaries at this time. Councilors pressed for additional documentation, questioned the consultant’s comparators and objected to the study’s estimate of the time city councilors spend on official duties.

Key features presented by HR and budget staff include:
• A six pay‑band classification (pay band 1 through 6) with a new distribution intended to consolidate many small legacy grades and make pay scales more transparent.
• A $65,000 minimum starting salary for individual contributors in the lowest band and larger percentage increases concentrated at the low end of the wage scale.
• An S‑track for positions that require specific professional credentials (for example CPAs or licensed social workers) and an M‑track for professional engineers and solicitors with separate market comparisons.
• A proposal to begin rollout retroactive to the first pay period in January, pending council approval.

Budget Director Mike Mastroboni reviewed comparable‑city research and said the administration was not proposing salary changes for elected officials at this time. “Based on median and average compensation among the comparable communities, we’re currently proposing no salary changes for the city council,” Mastroboni said, adding that the city estimated a councilor’s official‑capacity time at about 450 hours per year plus a 33% buffer (the presentation translated that to an illustrative $40,000 annual stipend, roughly $66.67 per estimated hour).

Councilors raised multiple questions and concerns. Councilor Ewan Kampen asked why the Licensing Commission was not placed in the highest commission tier; Gill said the highest tier was reserved for bodies with substantial fund allocation and enforcement authority (for example the Affordable Housing Trust and Job Creation and Retention Board). Several councilors—most loudly Councilor Joe Scott and Councilor Burnley—questioned the study’s estimate of council hours and the broader practice of councilors setting their own compensation; Scott called a frozen stipend “an effective pay cut” given inflation since 2016. Councilors requested the underlying comparators, the consultant’s position‑by‑position mapping and meeting‑hours data used to estimate elected officials’ workload.

The presentation also proposed updating stipends for boards and commissions, including paying some bodies that were previously unpaid (the Job Creation and Retention Board and Affordable Housing Trust were called out for pay where previously unpaid). Gill said the city had reviewed enabling ordinances and state law to create a three‑tiered stipend structure and proposed a 5% increase for committee chairs and a 50% increase for alternate members where applicable.

Next steps: Gill said staff would seek to implement the changes retroactive to January if the council approves them and emphasized that the mayor and council would still need to authorize budget changes. Councilors asked that the administration provide the consultant’s classification tables, comparable‑city data, the clerk’s meeting‑time spreadsheet used for hours estimates and the full MOA documents for recently settled union contracts. Mastroboni indicated the administration planned to place detailed materials before the full council in early February for formal consideration.

Ending: The Finance Committee accepted the presentation and committee members said they would continue the review before any ordinance or budget action; councilors requested additional documentation to review prior to the full council vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Somerville City Finance - 2025-01-30","oneSentenceSummary","City HR and budget officials presented a proposed nonunion classification and compensation plan Jan. 30 that would create six pay bands, raise the lowest nonunion starting salary to $65,000 and add credentialed professional tracks; councilors asked for more comparator data and pushed for elected and commission pay changes.","taxTitle","Somerville City, Middlesex County, Massachusetts","taxId",4564,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6359639,"Residents push Somerville to fund unarmed emergency response, automated traffic enforcement and repairs for youth center",2362,80000,2442000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2176301-6da3a82c5b8f8a7b9949a8757202e8cd&start=80&end=2442","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2176301-6da3a82c5b8f8a7b9949a8757202e8cd/thumbnail_80000.jpg","/articles/6359639/Somerville-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Residents-push-Somerville-to-fund-unarmed-emergency-response-automated-traffic-enforcement-and-repairs-for-youth-center","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359639-0702d522a99564e212edfe8542561037/orig.mp4?Expires=1771123655&Signature=AB0FQ-5EgaLurhgQPFLorKYLuunL2p72w4tK2Qp5wkwCSND1HlYH4OtA2-m9Lop-h813NOoJlHEi0S~p-iPxGhUXTZ~7IRioDFRTxSOU3tcSU2UvzXfF7SHXuFkUWqvw4mJkHiz7baeiyK-o3sA3lvea~OzJkbjBUTBbJBTAh5zB-LPf9x7Sa3TytFtbV28koeTZAw9tTf~DOheQXW6pwh2xbahhz4gmBtnYNe8YeNL0EpnbsFWRjAdDiC2W8dt5EG0LY9hOPFJyLTfodd4BtsXgZ1ZsRymRqm-ex3DtIlL9cTn3j2ECOadlclUmr~VTHhSTBo01HGi6dd1CvqJv7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Somerville — At a Jan. 30 public hearing before the City Council’s Finance Committee, residents urged the city to include funding in its fiscal 2026 budget for a range of priorities including a fully separate, unarmed emergency response team, automated traffic enforcement, anti‑displacement measures and repairs and ADA upgrades at the Teen Empowerment facility at 165 Broadway.

The hearing, held as part of an annual request from the council to gather community budget priorities, gave each speaker two minutes to address councilors. “Co response will see more funding for the police and will continue to traumatize residents by responding to their calls for help with armed officers instead of care and empathy,” said Derek DuPont of Ward 3, urging the council to reject a co‑response model recommended this week by the mayoral Public Safety for All Task Force and instead fund a non‑police alternative.

Supporters of a separate unarmed team repeated that plea. “The recommendation for co response is not an alternative,” said Lauren, a licensed mental health counselor and Ward 2 resident. “Including police in response in any way makes this not an alternative, even when licensed mental health professionals accompany police.” Several speakers, including Kevin Foster and Dana Grotenstein, described the need for responders who are unarmed and not housed inside the Somerville Police Department.

Nut graf: The hearing collected repeated requests on three recurring themes — public‑safety alternatives to police, traffic safety through automated enforcement, and capital repairs/ADA upgrades for youth services. Councilors said the input will inform the mayor’s FY26 budget proposal and the city’s budget deliberations, but no funding decisions were made at the hearing.

Automated enforcement and street safety drew separate backing. Derek DuPont and others pointed to the governor’s FY26 proposal legalizing automated speed cameras and urged the city to budget for study and installations. “These cameras have significantly cut speeding and dangerous crashes in places where they are legal,” DuPont said, and several speakers urged expanding the city’s “safety sticks” program to deter illegal parking in bike lanes and bus stops.

Teen Empowerment, the youth program based at 165 Broadway, and its staff and youth organizers pressed the council for capital repairs and ADA accessibility funding. “Our space isn’t ADA accessible, which prevents Teen Empowerment from hosting public events,” said Kiera Tipton, a youth organizer. Speakers described a deteriorating fire escape, falling bricks, ceiling damage and broken electrical covers. “It is a serious fire hazard,” said Charlie, a youth organizer with Seed Environment. Teen Empowerment staff and supporters asked the council to fund either an elevator or chairlift and other immediate safety repairs. Separately, Wilbert Pineda (Clarendon Hall Housing) asked the council to allocate about $18,000 to the Come to the Table meal program.

Other recurring requests included anti‑displacement and renter protections from speakers including Jen Harrington and Kevin Foster, proposals to enable more housing (Daniel Wong urged permitting buildings up to six stories near transit corridors), and calls for increased school funding and capital maintenance tied to the Winter Hill School vacancy (Joe Lynch and Alex Frieden raised school funding and maintenance as priorities). Parking and red‑light enforcement also came up repeatedly; one speaker urged a dedicated parking enforcement position in Davis Square.

No formal votes were taken at the hearing. The Finance Committee closed the public hearing after roughly two hours of testimony and recessed for a scheduled 7 p.m. presentation on a separate agenda item. Committee chair Councilor Jake Wilson reminded speakers that written comments can be submitted at publiccomments@somervillema.gov and that the June budget hearing on the mayor’s proposed budget remains a separate, legally required opportunity for public input.

Ending: The testimony on Jan. 30 will be entered into the public record for the Finance Committee and considered as part of the FY26 budget process; councilors and staff said some requests could require ordinance changes, state authorization (for automated enforcement) or capital planning and will be evaluated during the mayor’s formal proposal and later council budget deliberations.","At a Jan. 30 finance committee public hearing on FY26 budget priorities, dozens of Somerville residents urged funding for a standalone unarmed emergency response, automated speed enforcement, anti‑displacement measures and capital repairs for Teen Empowerment’s building, while others urged investment in housing and school facilities.","actionData","errors"]

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Somerville proposes new nonunion pay framework with $65,000 minimum; councilors press for elected and commission pay changes

Residents push Somerville to fund unarmed emergency response, automated traffic enforcement and repairs for youth center