THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, MARCH 22, 2024 Page 3 City Council’s Ways & Means baffl ed by city clerk’s $70K vacation payout By Neil Zolot C ity Clerk Sergio Cornelio was found to have received more vacation pay than the City Council Ways and Means Subcommittee expected to fi nd in their recent scrutiny of local budgets. “It was in the $70,000 range not the $30,000 range,” Councillor-at-Large and Ways and Means Subcommittee Chairperson Stephanie Smith said at the Subcommittee meeting on Monday, March 18. “We were expecting a $30,000 payout, but when we looked into it, he was given additional weeks.” Exactly how and when this happened is a mystery, except Cornelio’s accumulation of vacation days was before a change in the City’s Legislative Code from saving days and rolling them over year to year. Now it’s “use it or lose it.” “It was so long ago there’s no documentation, although it was obviously signed off on somehow,” Smith surmised. “Going forward our goal is to adhere to the Legislative Code and anything above that to be documented.” Cornelio did not attend the meeting, despite being in City Hall until at least an hour before it started. “I’ve been here so long, I don’t lose my time,” he stated in a telephone interview with The Advocate on Tuesday in reference to his 20 years working for the City, the last seven as City Clerk. “Use it or lose it doesn’t apply to everyone, so last year, I was bought out of my accumulated vacation time like other departments and employees, i.e. police, fi re, etc. It’s a common practice and there’s nothing special in what I got. Every year there are people who have been bought out of their time. Every quarter people are being bought out.” In other personnel matters derived from looking at budgets, City Chief Financial Offi - cer Eric Demas reported that there are vacancies for an Assistant Solicitor and a Director of Communications. He called the Communication Director position “challenging to fi ll. It hasn’t been easy, but the Human Resources Department has been good at reaching out to several resources to spark interest in the position,” which was posted eight months ago and has a salary range of $95,000-115,000. Some employees at City Hall have been handling those tasks themselves; hopefully, a temporary situation. “I’ve PAYOUT | SEE PAGE 6 8 Norwood St. Everett (617) 387-9810 Open Daily 4:00 PM Closed Sunday Announcing our Classic Specials Dine In Only: * FREE Salad with purchase of Entree, Monday & Tuesdays * Cheese Pizza - Only $10 Catch ALL The Live Sports Action On Our Large Screen TV’s SHOP LOCAL & DROP BY FOR DINNER! www.eight10barandgrille.com SABATINO/MASTROCOLA INSURANCE AGENCY 519 BROADWAY EVERETT, MA 02149 Auto * Home * Boat * Renter * Condo * Life * Multi-Policy Discounts * Commercial 10% Discounts * Registry Service Also Available Sabatino Insurance is proud to welcome the loyal customers of ALWAYS READY TO SERVE YOU: Our Staff are, Emma Davidson, Jeimy Sanchez, Josephine Leone, Marie D’Amore, Rocco Longo, Z’andre Lopez, Anthony DiPierro, Darius Goudreau, Laurette Murphy, Danielle Goudreau and Tina Davidson. PHONE: (617) 387-7466 FAX: (617) 381-9186 Visit us online at: WWW.SABATINO-INS.COM Subscribe to the Advocate Online: www.advocatenews.net
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