Since the 3-2 majority on the Paris Selectboard saw fit to dispose of the perfectly capable town manager in June 2009 and go in a different direction, let's look at the cost for Paris tax payers in the realm of town managers .
[editor's note: This will only be a look at the $$. The other factors that make up the rest of the story about The Cost - leadership, or the lack of it; competence, or the lack of it; accountability, or the lack of it - all of that is another look for another day.]
If former Town Manager Jackson had continued in Paris after 6-22-09, at her new salary and benefits schedule starting 7-1-09, by 1-1-10 it would have cost the Town of Paris $38,709.
Jackson, however, was replaced by an interim manager who worked fewer days, and only a few hours on those days. From 7-13-09 to 1-22-10, M. Thorne was paid $16,200.
Good thing, that, the smaller paycheck for an interim, because the fired manager was also being paid at the same time. From July 7 to Nov 3 09, it cost the Town of Paris $25,200 for S. Jackson's salary and benefits severance pay.
Interim plus severance= $41,400; $2,691 more for this different direction.
And...beginning the week ending 1-09-10, the Town of Paris will be billed $356 every week for S. Jackson's unemployment check. $1,068 ending the week of 1-23-10.
6 months of unemployment checks= $9,256 more for this different direction.
As of Jan. 4, 2010, a new town manager in Paris. Phil Tarr has been hired, full time, with a pay scale similar to former Mgr. Jackson's, though slightly higher in total. A comparison is linked to this post.
On the face of it, the weekly paycheck to Mr. Tarr ($1,096.15) is less than the weekly paycheck to S. Jackson would have been ($1,233.00). However, Mr. Tarr's Total contract holds an increase of $882.46 over S. Jackson's new contract.
Total of new manager's contract = $825.46 more for this different direction.
This article is in no way a commentary on Mr. Tarr. The intent of this posting is simply to point out the needless expense forced on the tax payers of the Town of Paris; 3 selectmen did not seem to be able to control their tempers, and apparently decided that firing a nemesis was the best way to handle that anger.
$12,772.46 totally unnecessary taxpayer dollars for this different direction.
Paris had 6 months of a part time administrator; of questionable decisions by the majority on the selectboard who often decided in his stead; and now another brand new manager. This is the different direction taxpayers had to pay an extra $12.7 K for? What's wrong with this picture?
