Somersworth budget: Pay raises for schools, police, firefighters. What it means for taxes

SOMERSWORTH — A $59 million-plus proposed city budget for fiscal year 2025 includes raises for school employees and administrators, as well as police and firefighters.

The City Council adopted the budget Monday night after approving several amendments that added and subtracted from the proposed figures. The final adopted budget for fiscal year 2025 is $59,385,023. That represents $481,938 over the tax cap and adds $1.51 to the tax rate, bringing it to $30.81 per thousand dollars of valuation.

Notable was an amendment posed by Deputy Mayor David Witham to increase the amount of the city's fund balance used to offset taxes, from $1.5 million to $1.8 million.

On the school side, $500,000 was added to the budget, intended to preserve staff positions although the district has the final say over the allocation of funds.

In talking about staff raises, School Board Chair Maggie Larson said retention of staff is one of this year's goals. She and interim Superintendent Lou Goscinski both said the district's wages have been below neighboring communities for many years, and the raises are an attempt to correct that.

Goscinski said the increases are intended to make the district more competitive with other districts in the state.

"Salaries have not kept pace with the surrounding area for many years," Goscinski said.

The budget includes pay raises for teachers ($588,729 in wages and $797,835 total), administrators ($111,796 in wages and $139,314 total), clerical and aides ($327,564 in wages and $372,050 total) custodial staff ($34,994 in wages and $47,866 total).

Searchable database: Salaries for all Somersworth school employees in calendar year 2023

Goscinski said the increases for school administrators, which ranged from 9% to 11%, were based on his recommendations with longevity considered.

"The administration staff is non-union, therefore their salary increases are not negotiated with the School Board like other collective bargaining agreements," said Goscinski. "Each year, the superintendent recommends a percentage increase for any non-union staff to the board during the budget process."

Tax cap and tax rate impact of budget

Salaries and benefits comprise 71% of the city budget.

City Manager Robert Belmore said police and fire union contracts have been negotiated and signed. There are 40 members of the Police Department and 19 members of the Fire Department.

Searchable database: Salaries for all Somersworth city employees in 2023

The proposed budget includes funding a new position for a deputy fire chief, a new mechanic at public works effective Dec. 1, 2024, and a part-time police officer effective Jan. 1, 2025.

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Somersworth budget: Pay raises for schools, police, firefighters