Marlborough Finance Committee recommends $1.65 million midyear transfer, parking officer raise

MARLBOROUGH -- February 23, 2022, Marlborough Finance Committee clears $1.65M midyear transfer and a parking-officer pay bump. The committee voted 5-0 to recommend a $1,652,616 transfer from Mayor Arthur Vigeant, including $1,439,076 for retroactive raises under newly settled union contracts and $500 vaccine incentive payments for full-time city and school employees. Vigeant said all bargaining units except fire settled at 7 percent over three years, with police at 2-2-2 plus a 1 percent signing bonus and others at 1-2-2 plus a 2 percent bonus. Asked why ARPA money was not used for the incentive, Vigeant said the city plans to apply its full $12 million ARPA allocation to a single pump station project to avoid tiered federal reporting. The package also funds $43,000 in HR costs tied to roughly 50 new hires since July, $23,540 in Four Leaf inspector invoices, and $121,000 in DPW work including DEP-required ambient-air sampling at the Hudson Street landfill. Members also voted 5-0 to recommend raising the parking enforcement officer pay cap from $18 to $25 per hour after the previous hire left for a higher-paying job.