Somerset town clerk seeks raise to get salary in line with other towns

SOMERSET — Town Clerk Dolores Berge has asked for a pay raise of about $4,000 in her Fiscal Year 2020 budget proposal to put her more in line with what other town clerks make in towns that are of similar size to Somerset.

“I’m the lowest paid town clerk in the Commonwealth for a town our size,” Berge said.

Berge said that, traditionally, she has received pay increases to bring her up to what other bylaw town employees who are not part of labor unions and are at similar step levels make. Berge is the only fulltime employee at the Town Office Building who is an elected official.

Town Administrator Richard Brown said the town clerk has traditionally been given cost of living increases, like other town employees, but said those are not being given this year. He said Berge put in for a pay increase based on the personnel bylaw employee matrix for pay. He said the selectmen could approve whatever they want for a pay increase for Berge. Brown said he was recommending a two percent increase for Berge because that is what employees in other labor unions in the town are getting. He said the town has settled agreements with labor unions for firefighters and Sewer Department workers, and has tentative agreements with Highway Department workers and Water Department workers. He said the town also has agreements with police officers and Police Department supervisors, but some language has to be straightened out before they can be finalized.

Berge said that because of the town’s new job classification chart, all of the other town employees are moving up a step that gives them a pay increase similar to what she requested. She said her position was part of the last job classification study, but the town clerk’s position is not part of the town’s personnel bylaw employees, but she said the pay increase she is proposing is based on what she would get if she moved up a step like the other town employees at similar job classifications. She said she was told her position would be equal to M4 positions under the town’s personnel bylaw which would bring her salary up about $4,000 with a step increase. Berge said she assumed she would get equal pay to other similar department heads in town. She said she was happy that she was part of the job classification survey, but said the end result is that it put her salary below those of other town clerks in towns with comparable populations. She said a pay increase of $4,000 would bring her salary closer to other town clerks.

Selectman Steven Moniz said he wants to have some further discussion of Berge’s salary. He did not want to finalize her budget yet at last Wednesday’s selectmen’s meeting. The budget for the general government will be voted on at the Annual Town Meeting in May.

Selectman David Berube said the town clerk’s office runs smoothly and efficiently.

Berge said other town clerk’s offices in towns that are of similar size as Somerset also usually have more staff than her office does. Berge’s salary is $59,290. The most recent population number for Somerset is 17,275.

In Abington, a town with a population of 15,931 people, the town clerk’s salary is $72,472. In Duxbury, where the population is 16,276, the town clerk makes $76,000. In East Bridgewater, where the population is 14,000 people, the town clerk makes $68,500. In Hanover, where the population is 14,811, the town clerk makes $71,729. In Rockland, where the population is 17,890 people, the town clerk’s salary is $78,500. In Whitman, where the population is 14,641, the town clerk makes $67,450. In Swansea, the town clerk’s salary as of July 1 will be $65,430. Berge said the town clerk in Swansea has been there for one year, serves less of a population and has more staff. Berge has been town clerk in Somerset for eight years and has worked for the town for 31 years. She also said that town clerks have been dealing with more state law requirements in recent years.