MILFORD – Town council almost voted Monday not to change public employee salaries next year, but instead postponed the decision for three weeks. After a lengthy discussion and back-of-the-envelope calculation among council members, councilman Doug Ruch moved to mirror 2015 salaries to current pay. He cited an 11-percent increase in health insurance costs, the bulk of which is covered by the town, while councilman Dan Cochran noted that employee pay is higher than the state and federal hourly average. But before the motion received a second, town Marshal Rich Miotto asked why employees weren’t given a chance to meet and confer on pay. He said he would have liked time to see if other area law enforcement agencies gave raises, and also remarked that living expenses continue to rise whether employees are paid more or not. “I don’t get a discount (at the store) just because I didn’t get a raise,” Miotto said. He also said he would forego a raise himself if it meant his officers could receive one. Councilman Bob Cockburn observed that, in his experience working in education, employees have the chance to negotiate their contract every year; and Clerk-Treasurer Joellen Free offered to gather more exact figures on employee compensation before any decisions are made. Ruch withdrew his motion and suggested instead that council vote on salaries at the end-of-year meeting Dec. 30 at 8 a.m. Also at that meeting, council will consider a change to town elections that would bring them in line with national elections, in the hopes of gaining more interest in voting. The change might mean first holding an election for one-year council terms. Miotto also asked permission to widen his search for a new reserve officer, with a deadline extension to Jan. 2, which was granted; and reported that elderly residents are still falling prey to online and phone scams and urged caution when money or personal information is involved. And council voted to purchase a salt spreader for $2,500 and replacement parts for the leaf machine for about $1,000. They declined Utilities Superintendent Randy Veach’s request for a Toolcat utility vehicle for close to $40,000, which would have been paid starting this year from $10,000 left over in equipment appropriations. Cochran lead discussion against the purchase, saying he would rather buy the other two items and “leave $6,000 on the table than go into hock for $50,000.”
