Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-06-13
BIG BOOST IN
SALARIES ORDERED
Aldermen Make Generous In.
creases in Compensation Paid
City Officials-Mayor to Get
$1,500 Instead of $500, Raise
to, Date from April

Mayor J. Holmes jackson is to receive
the largest salary ever paid chief exec
utive Of Burdlington. This was decided
upon Monday night at the meeting of the
board Of aldermen, an adjourned session
or the regular monthly meeting The
sum his honor is to receive for adminis-
tering the affairs of the city is $500 a
year, instead of the $500 he has been re-
ceiving In the past. The salary Is retroac-
tive. 1t dates from April l.
Other city officials who received SUBJ
stantial increases in their salaries, which
are also retroactive are City Treasurer
L. G. Grant $500; City Engineer Thur
man w. Dix, $1,000; Superintendent of
Streets j. w. Coffey, $1,50O; Superintend-
Of the Municipal Lighting Plant Walter
Bedding, $1,000; Chief of Police p. J. Rus
| sell $500; Deputy Chief of Police P. j.
Cosgrove, $1,000; Sergeant John Ryan.
$1.o40; and Chief of the Fire Department
Carl d. Stockwell, $1,43O. The salary Of
City Attorney II. S. Peck, which will
probably be $1,000 in the future, was held
up for the time being. pending the recep-
ton Of a report from the city attorney.
The salary question was brought UP
Monday night by Alderman Caisse,
one Of the members of the salary COM
mittee. The other aldermen on this COM
mittee are Jed p. Ladd and Charles L.
Woodbury.. After discussion of tho pro-
posed raises, passage was recommended
by Alderman Bergeron. The move was
seconded by Alderman Caisse. Then the
act which was first introduced on May 2,
was passed.
According to the report of the salary
| committee, the salary committee first
contemplated raising. the salary Of the
| mayor from $500 to between $3.50 and
$500. A compromise was later agreed
upon, wherein the citys chief executive
| is to receive the amount specified above.
Another point noted in The communica-
ton and passed with the salary act, is
that henceforth each department of the
| city is required to make out individual
payroll. the same to be presented to the
city treasurer, whereupon his check will
| be given therefor
The salary increase of the city attor-
ney. which as noted above was held up
IS to include all incidental expenses
except travelling and money actually ex-
| pended and necessarily due to defending
suits for or against the city.
| AS a reason for the raise in the salary
Of the mayor, the committee says that
the salary of the city's chief executive
| IN years past has been merely nominal
and has not represented a fair compen-
! sation for the duties which are required
of mayor of a city the size Of Burling
| ton, and while they were Of the opinion
that the city should not pay large
sum to the man filling this position they
thought the salary agreed upon reason.
able.
Aldermen Hall and Woodbury. voiced
I dissension before passage OF the bill
the latter believing that a raise of 81
per cent. of the mayors present salary
| was sufficient. Alderman Hall was of tn,
| opinion that because the business of the
several departments of the city was ir
| the hands of commissioners the raise
should not be granted. He called tt
mind the fact that many of the former
| chief executives Of the city were conten
to serve the city for the honor that wa.
conferred upon them. He thought tina
passage of the act would be the mean.
OF opening the office in the future t
salary seekers instead of honor seekers
He closed by asking that the mayor.
salary be cut to $1,000.
Alderman Ladd then interposed tina
II we have to select men capable and abb,
to fill this high office, the city mus
pay them. 1t we do not pay them a fail
salary. he said, we shall have to selec
millionafres, men who are able to worl
for nothing. If ] were asked to Civ,
all my time for nothing, he concluded,
would say. take your honor. and IL m,
vote would do 1t, ! would make tn,
mayors salary even more than 1t is