Salisbury selectmen most highly paid in the region

The Northwestern Connecticut Council of Governments (COG) has just released its annual listing of salaries paid to town employees in the region. Towns in the Northwest Corner often refer to the list as they enter into the annual budget planning season. Charts showing all the information can be found at The Lakeville Journal’s website at www.tricornernews.com.The COG is an organization based in Warren, Conn., made up of the first selectmen from nine Litchfield County towns, including all six towns in the Region One school district.Salisbury pays its selectmen the most of all the COG towns, with the first selectman receiving $73,316 and the two selectmen $9,968. North Canaan pays its first selectman $25,000 and the two selectmen $5,000.Falls Village’s first selectman is paid $32,398 and the selectmen $5,335; in Cornwall, the first selectman receives $45,631 and the selectmen $3,320.In Kent the top job is worth $59,081 and the two selectmen get $4,156, and in Sharon the first selectman is paid $54,556 and the selectmen $4,160.Kent’s town clerk leads the salaries for that position at $41,636, with Salisbury right behind at $41,250.The town clerk job in Sharon pays $39,333; in Cornwall, $35,721; in Falls Village, $25,880; and in North Canaan, $6,500 plus a portion of fees collected.The survey chart also shows what the animal control officer, health officer or sanitarian, senior center director, solid waste and recycling coordinator and agent for the elderly are paid annually.In addition to salaries, the survey also shows benefits that town employees receive. Workers in North Canaan, Sharon and Falls Village do not contribute to their premium. Workers in Kent and Cornwall contribute on a sliding scale based on coverage.Workers in Roxbury pay between $500 and $1,000 and town employees in Warren contribute 15 percent while those in Washington do not have to share in their premium cost. Most but not all of the towns have switched to high-deductible and health savings account programs.The chart has information as well on what employees must pay as a co-pay per visit. Health insurance includes dental care for workers in all nine towns except Sharon.The survey also includes information on the number of sick days, personal days and vacation days that employees earn.