Gardner Finance Committee recommends city clerk pay step, defers six agenda items

GARDNER — July 1, 2026 — Gardner Finance Committee advances city clerk pay step to full council, defers six items. The two-member Finance Committee — Chair Aleksander H. Dernalowicz and Councilor Judy A. Mack — voted 2-0 Wednesday to recommend ratification of a Step 1B designation for newly hired City Clerk Jennifer Pelavin, crediting her with 4.5 years of outside experience under the city's amended non-union compensation ordinance, a difference of roughly $1,579.88 over the base rate. Council President George C. Tyros, who presented the item, said 50 candidates applied and three were interviewed through a public subcommittee process, pushing back on what he called "a lot of misinformation" about the hire: "Under our old system, we could have never considered an attorney of this caliber." A $30,530.88 salary transfer to cover an auditor department shortfall tied to a three-month vacancy was held after Tyros and Mack questioned why the entire cost should fall on the legislative department budget. Three donation acceptances — a $5,000 gift from Lynn Barrieau for community policing, a $58 Capitol flag from grant-writing firm Keller Partners Co., and a $53,000 truck lease from Salvadore Chevrolet for the K9 program — were held pending minor revisions to include donation specifics within the measure language itself.