By Lynne Hendricks
AMESBURY — Amesbury's Municipal Council met with the mayor Thursday to pore through a raft of data that provides new insight into how the town spends money on big-ticket items like raises and health care.
But the bare-bones manner in which the town publicized the meeting is causing concern for a newly formed taxpayer group that had hoped to work cooperatively with elected officials.
The meeting was posted in the strictest legal sense — on a sheet of paper behind the counter in the town clerk's office — but wasn't advertised anywhere else. It was noticeably absent on the town's online calendar, where every other municipal government meeting is listed. And although the mayor's office has been posting information about upcoming meetings on a new taxpayer watchdog Web site, this meeting wasn't mentioned.
Mayor Thatcher Kezer and Chief of Staff Kendra Amaral said the specially organized workshop meeting addressed questions of municipal health benefits, union contracts and negotiation, and the little-known perk known as longevity pay that's sparking a lot of interest in town since the increased tax rate was voted last November.
"It's part of the open communication effort that we're all trying to do between the council and mayor," said Kezer of the meeting, which he characterized as one to educate the councilors on the collective bargaining process, what's in the contracts and how the town sets about negotiating with unions.
"The benefit to the councilors was providing sort of the basic framework of collective bargaining and what's in the contracts, and we provided them some worksheets," Kezer said. "In exchange, for me, it was to get a general sense from them on what direction they would like to see things head, and the big picture."
Click here to view Contract ComparisonKezer said he and the councilors talked about where changes could be made in light of continued economic instability.
"There is a sense, especially in the whole benefits area, of taking a look at the benefits that employees have, and what benefits were put in place a long time ago that were low-cost items but have now exploded," Kezer said. "There was a lot of talk around longevity."
Longevity bonuses paid out to staffers who stick with the town over a period of years were brought up recently at Amesbury's annual tax rate hearing, where a packed Town Hall came to voice concern over another increase in the town's tax rate. The bonuses — which total $200,000 — were one of many topics touched upon that evening, where councilors charged that residents had been too passive in the budget process and should play a more active role in this year's budget process if they want to affect the following year's tax rates.
Resident Jack Tremblay, organizer of the Citizens for Lower Taxes in Amesbury Facebook page, which has been steadily growing since the last tax rate hearing and is now up to 150-plus members, isn't sure public involvement is what councilors really want.
Had they known about the meeting, he said, many of those who have taken the time to add their names and follow the threads on the group's Facebook page, would have likely attended.
"I wish I did (know about it) because I had last night free, and that's one of the things I've been looking into lately, is the contracts," Tremblay said. "It would have been interesting."
Tremblay and Susan Deiker, and a host of others on the site new to town politics in Amesbury, have been seeking answers from town officials on how each town department operates and where money might be saved. A few councilors have posted answers to their questions on the Facebook page and appeared to be willing partners in helping residents become more involved in this year's budget process. But even though Kendra Amaral posted advice to the group on Jan. 25 when Municipal Council meetings are held, she mentioned nothing about the upcoming council meeting between the mayor's office and council.
Citing the fact that he felt "scolded" by municipal councilors back at the tax hearing for not playing a more active role in the budget process, Tremblay saw mixed messages in their move to not advertise the meeting.
"I think they need to make more of an effort obviously," Tremblay said. "I'm on the Conservation Commission, and I know we have to make a special effort whenever we get together to make a public invitation."
"We're trying to get the cooperation with the site we have," said Tremblay of the Facebook page. "That would be the perfect place to say hey, we're having a meeting. But then they're actually going to have people there that are going to ask them questions. I guess it's easy to announce things subtly."
While Tremblay said he is hopeful that this missed opportunity to inform the growing list of interested citizens organizing on his site was a one-time oversight, he suspects from this most recent action that councilors aren't enthusiastic about opening up the town's business for everyone to see.
"I just don't get the impression that the Municipal Council is too excited about it," he said.
Calls to Council President Bob Lavoie seeking information and minutes from the meeting were not returned yesterday. Town Clerk Bonnijo Kitchin said she was told by Lavoie that she wasn't needed to take the minutes and that he would do it himself.
