Select Board approves 4.5% nonunion pay adjustment and schedules budget workshop

The Skowhegan Select Board approved a recommended pay-scale update for nonunion employees on April 28, voting 5–0 to adopt a total 4.5% increase that the interim manager framed as a 2% anniversary step plus a 2.5% annual step across the pay scales.

Interim manager Donnie said the increase is intended to recognize nonunion staff contributions, remain competitive as union contracts were recently settled, and help retention. He told the board that while performance metrics would be preferable in future cycles, there was not sufficient time to design and implement a robust, department‑level evaluation system before the coming budget decisions. Board members agreed that performance measures and benchmarking against neighboring towns should be a priority for the next manager.

The board also scheduled a joint meeting with the budget committee for May 2 and a public budget workshop at the recreation center the following Saturday to finalize amendments prior to printing the annual report. Members discussed logistics for the long budget day and catering arrangements.

Why it matters: the pay-scale decision affects town staffing costs and the budget worksheet the board will present to voters; board members flagged the need to track performance metrics and to compare local pay scales with surrounding municipalities during future reviews.