The Lynnfield Select Board and Finance Committee answered questions and listened to comments at a recent joint meeting regarding Town Administrator Robert Dolan’s fiscal year 2025 budget.
“We are here to listen to you,” Selectman Joe Connell said. “This process didn’t start yesterday, this process really started the first week of December, and we’re coming to the conclusion of this process with the budget.”
Lynnfield resident Pat Campbell asked a question about town employees’ salaries. Campbell wanted to know Director of Capital Projects John Scenna’s salary, stating that Scenna also works for the Lynnfield Center Water District.
“I believe it is $180,000 a year combined, predominantly on the side of the LCWD,” Dolan said.
Dolan estimated that 60% of Scenna’s salary is from the LCWD, and 40% is from the town.
“John Scenna is taking over not only capital projects, which is upwards of $65 million to $70 million worth of construction going on right now. He’s taking over all recreational facilities, which is a really big responsibility, as well as managing contracts,” Dolan said. “We’re saving a ton of money by not having to hire a full-time project manager for all of these projects, which would range well over six figures.”
Campbell also wanted to know about the line item “professional services” under the Board of Assessors category. The FY25 recommendation for “professional services” amounts to around $125,000.
“We hire Patriot Properties, which is the standard bearer of home assessment,” Dolan said.
He added that for years, Lynnfield had a full-time assessor, costing about $110,000, but now Lynnfield, Reading, and Wakefield share one assessor.
“And they do the assessment independently, and that’s the charge that they have,” Dolan said.
Campbell then asked about Fire Chief Glenn Davis’ salary.
“He’s not just making $155,427, which is a 2.8% increase, he’s also making $16,500 from emergency management, which comes to $171,927,” Campbell said. “What it seems to me we’re doing is funding his retirement, and this town has been notorious for doing that.”
In response to Campbell, Dolan said that fire departments have evolved over the years, and that they provide emergency medical services in addition to responding to fires.
“The town has got to be completely prepared for any possible emergency at any time,” Dolan said. “First and foremost, Glenn is not amongst the top paid firefighters of his size of community and scope. He’s exactly in the middle, and that’s where you want it to be… I do feel he is fairly compensated.”
In the end, Campbell also criticized past and upcoming salary raises within the school district’s staff.
“These are unsustainable raises, and what they’re doing is being less able to fund positions,” Campbell said.
