METHUEN — City councilors voted unanimously last night to approve a three-year employment contract for fire Chief Steven Buote.
Buote took over as chief last summer after then-fire Chief Clifford Gallant retired. The contract approved last night is retroactive to June 30.
According to City Council documents, Buote was originally supposed to earn $157,123 this year, but he took a one-year 10 percent pay cut that set him back to $142,010.
Mayor William Manzi negotiated pay cuts with city employees last year as part of his budget cuts.
Buote's pay is slated to return to the higher figure on July 1, and it will increase even more if the firefighters union — whose contract is up for renewal on June 30 — receives a raise, according to City Auditor Thomas Kelly.
Buote's base salary is automatically set at 2.3 times that of the highest-paid firefighter, plus he receives other perks, such as longevity, according to council documents.
Buote has been with the department since 1980.
