January 23, 2009
WMUR-TV
Town Manager Says Other Employees Will Be Able To Get Raises
GORHAM, N.H. — Some town workers in Gorham are giving up their raises to make sure that their co-workers get a bump in pay.
Town Manager Bill Jackson said that he needed to limit his budget, but he still wanted to give raises to the town’s vital workers.
“It’s the guy on the back of the garbage truck,” Jackson said. “It’s the guy with a backhoe. It’s the guy plowing the street at 3 o’clock in the morning. It’s some of the office staff that put in extra hours and didn’t ask for overtime.”
The town’s top-paid administrators plan to give up a 3 percent pay increase. The town manager, police chief, fire chief and public works director are all making a sacrifice.
“I don’t mind giving up my raise for my workers, because they do 99 percent of the laboring work to keep the town looking the way it is,” said Austin Holmes, public works director.
The school district did its part, too. Superintendent Paul Bosquet and school principals are some of the employees who gave up their raises.
“They didn’t balk at all,” Bosquet said. “There were no complaints, and they understand what’s going on.”
Gorham voters still need to approve the town budget, but town administrators sad they are confident they’ll agree to the plan later this year.