HAMPSTEAD, N.H. — Library director Peggy Thrasher said trustees Tuesday a comparative wage and salary study selectmen have commissioned is progressing slowly.
Selectmen contracted with a Local Government Center consultant on the study, which is designed to pinpoint the prevailing wage for every town job. The goal is to see if employee salaries are being priced correctly, Selectmen's Chairman James Stewart said previously.
In the study, Hampstead salaries will be compared against 12 other communities, Thrasher said.
The communities are Atkinson, Plaistow, Litchfield, Stratham, Barrington, Newmarket, Raymond, Jaffrey, Weare, Hopkinton, Amherst and Hollis.
Thrasher said she was pleased the town and the library would be using the identical list to compare salaries.
Selectman Richard Hartung attended the Library Trustees meeting and confirmed the study would be consistent for all departments.
Thrasher showed the library trustees a fact sheet, showing how Hampstead measures up to the other towns by population, percentage of college-educated residents, per capita income and municipal budgets.
The numbers, which are from 2007, show Hampstead spent less on its municipal government budget than most of the other towns, but spent a bit more on the library budget.
To run the local government, Hampstead spent $5.01 million. By comparison, Litchfield spent the least — $3.01 million — and Amherst spent the most, $9.5 million.
Looking at the library budget, Hampstead spent $374,064 for its public library and was topped only by Plaistow, which spent $425,086, and Amherst, which spent $670,518. Barrington spent the least, $139,709.
Thrasher said she met with Stewart, Selectman Priscilla Lindquist and other town officials to go over the numbers. The department heads are now in the process of reviewing the information, including job descriptions the consultant has developed.
Thrasher plans to ask the consultant to revise some library job descriptions, which ultimately will figure in the wage and salary study selectmen have ordered for all town positions, she said.
ÔÇæÔÇæÔÇæ
Join the discussion. To comment on stories and see what others are saying, log on to eagletribune.com.
