PAID TO STAY: Town Paying Thousands to Employees for Longevity

Longevity rewards employees for their years of service to the town —something of a bonus for not quitting.

It's a perk written into employee contracts years ago when wages might not have equaled those paid in the private sector.

But today that division is all but eliminated, though the perks such as longevity continue, and the cost to the town is more than a half a million dollars.

Here's an accounting of contractual Longevity payments included in Mayor Scott Jackson proposed 2013-14 budget:

• Animal Control: $1,245 (2 employees)
• Arts, Recreation and Culture: $4,380 (5 employees)
• Assessor: $1,415 (2 employees)
• Building Department: 3,405 (4 employees)
• Community Services: $4,455 (5 employees)
• Economic Development: $750 (one employee)
• Elderly Services: $1,245 (two employees)
• Registrar of Voters: $1,020 (one person)
• Engineering: $5,155 (6 people)
• Finance: $5,360 (6 people)
• Fire Department: $190,030.89 (90 people)
• Legislative Council: $695 (one person)
• Library: $16,880 (29 people)
• Mayor's Office: $3,415 (5 people)
• Personnel Dept.: $2,440 (3 people)
• Planning and Zoning: $5,070 (6 people)
• Police Dept.: $187,709.33 (102 people)
• School Crossing Guards: $4,310 (20 people)
• PD Non-Sworn Personnel: $3,035 (4 people)
• PD Communications Technicians $8,575 (10 people)
• Public Works: $66,805 (78 people)
• Purchasing: $920 (one person)
• Tax Collector: $2,840 (three people)
• Town Attorney's Office: $1,595 (two people)
• Town Clerk's Office: $3,470 (four people)
• Traffic Division: $745 (one person)
• Youth Services: $1,795 (two people)

• Total Longevity: $528,760.22 
• Total employees: 395

For most employees, the payments total less than $1,000 — and in some cases, much less. But for others, such as the Police Department's top brass, they can reach several thousands of dollars, all on top of their contracted salary.

The only way to eliminate paying longevity is to negotiate it out of the union contracts. Chief Administrative Officer Curt Leng said he could not say if the town is trying to eliminate the payments because officials can't comment on ongoing negotiations.