EVEEVERET Vol. 30, No.50 -FREERETT A household word in Everett for 30 years! DVOD www.advocatenews.net Wishing you happy holidays and thank you for being both customers and friends. As always, access our ATMs and your Online & Mobile Banking anytime. Enroll at www.EverettBank.com HAPPY HOLIDAYS: Pictured from left to right are Malden Bread of Life Executive Director Gabriella Snyder Stelmack, Asima Memic of the Everett Facilities Department and Everett 311 staff member Cheryl Cole. See photo highlights on pages 12 & 13. (Advocate photo by Tara Vocino) 419 BROADWAY. EVERETT, MA 02149 771 SALEM ST. LYNNFIELD, MA 01940 WWW.EVERETTBANK.COM 617-387-1110 781-776-4444 Member FDIC | Member DIF City Council votes to keep mayor’s longevity pay By Christopher Roberson W SINCE 1921 Messinger Insurance Agency 475 Broadway Everett, MA 02149 Phone: 617-387-2700 Fax: 617-387-7753 NEW COMPETITIVE AUTO RATES AND BENEFITS AVAILABLE ACCIDENT FORGIVENESS DISAPPEARING COLLISION DEDUCTIBLE 11% DISCOUNT WITH SUPPORTING POLICY 10% COMBINED PAY IN FULL DISCOUNT AND GREEN DISCOUNT 10% GOOD STUDENT DISCOUNT Celebrating 100 years of excellence! Monday thru Friday: 8am to 6pm Saturdays 9am to 1pm! Check out our NEW website! www.messingerinsurance.com ith two weeks left in this year’s legislative session, Ward 1 Councillor Fred Capone made a last-ditch effort to repeal Mayor Carlo DeMaria’s $10,000 longevity bonus. However, the City Council, during its December 13 meeting, voted 6-4 to retain the mayor’s longevity pay. In addition to Capone, Councillor-at-Large Michael Marchese, Ward 4 Councillor Jimmy Tri Le and City Council President Wayne Matewsky voted to repeal the bonus. “Longevity for an elected offi cial is inappropriate,” Capone said prior to the vote. “There is absolutely no need for longevity. We either serve the residents of this community or we serve one resident of this community.” Capone said the original Ordinance for longevity pay took eff ect in 2016, at which time DeMaria’s annual salary was $109,000. Five years later, the mayor’s salary has climbed to $191,475 and has a cost of living adjustment attached to it. “What that means is the salary is going to increase on its own every single year without action by this body,” said Capone. After the original Ordinance was passed, Capone said, the longevity bonus was subsequently rolled into DeMaria’s annual salary increases. To further complicate matters, the bonus now totals $40,000 per year stemming from an ongoing misinterpretation of the Ordinance. This is in addition to the mayor’s base salary and $6,000 vehicle bonus for a total compensation of $237,475 per year. “It’s caused a lot of problems, it’s caused a lot of confusion,” Capone said of the bonus pay, adding that it is a stark deviation from the original Ordinance. Ward 5 Councillor Rosa DiFlorio explained the reason behind having longevity pay. “For 30 years, the mayor of Everett never got a raise – 30 years,” COUNCIL | SEE PAGE 2 CCATTEAT Free Every Friday 617-387-2200 Friday, December 17, 2021 Everett Celebrates Annual Tree Lighting We’ll be closed for the holidays December 24-25th.
2 Publizr Home