Dunstable Advisory Committee Approves Employee Compensation Plan at $7,175 Cost

DUNSTABLE -- January 6, 2026, Dunstable advisory committee endorses employee compensation and classification plan at a six-month cost of $7,175. The committee voted in favor of the restructured pay scale, which sets new rates for all covered town positions, with one member abstaining due to family involvement in the plan. Officials said the full annualized cost shown in the schedule is $19,795, but the net new cost above amounts already budgeted for a 2 percent wage increase is substantially lower, estimated informally at under $10,000 for FY27, and the immediate FY26 cost is covered by a $10,000 salary reserve line the town had set aside in anticipation. Presenters framed the plan as a retention tool, arguing that recurring hiring and training costs make modest pay increases economically rational. The fiscal year 2027 budget will require adjustment to incorporate the new rates, a step presenters said would follow approval.