The mayor has agreed to change his proposed fiscal 2014 budget so the Town Council's clerk remains its full-time employee.
WEST SPRINGFIELD - Lobbied by four town councilors, Mayor Gregory C. Neffinger has agreed to amend his proposed fiscal 2014 budget so that the Town Council’s clerk will remain its full-time employee.
In his $82.9-million proposed budget, the mayor had called for splitting the time of Town Council clerk Sue Pettazzoni between the council and the Town Clerk’s office.
However, after a visit from councilors Bruce L. Gendron, George D. Condon III, George R. Kelly and John R. Sweeney, the mayor agreed to make the change.
Neffinger said Monday that the councilors convinced him there is enough work to keep Pettazzoni busy working full time for the council.
The mayor said the councilors came to visit him in a spirit of cooperation. Neffinger said he has always wanted to work with the Town Council “in a spirit of cooperation.”
Sweeney said councilors agreed to try to get the issue of whether the city should buy the old Elks hall on Morgan Street onto Monday night’s agenda so it could be referred to the council’s budget subcommittee.
Neffinger and Council President Kathleen A. Bourque wrangled during the council’s May 6 meeting over whether she would allow the mayor to address the council on the topic. Bourque contended that if he wanted to address the council, Neffinger should have approached it in time to be listed on the council agenda that must be posted 48 hours in advance of a meeting. She said doing otherwise would be a violation of the state’s Open Meeting Law.
Neffinger’s original proposed budget called for cutting Pettazzoni’s council pay from $36,943 a year to $18,749 annually with her making up for the decrease by working half her hours in the Town Clerk’s Office. It also called for a $5,000 stipend for attending night meetings. Pettazzoni has been the council’s clerk for about eight years. Her responsibilities range from producing the council’s agenda to other functions like taking the minutes of its meetings, doing research for it and staffing the council office in the municipal office building.