LIVERMORE FALLS — Selectmen voted unanimously Monday night to extend Town Manager Jim Chaousis’ current one-year contract by more than three years.

The agreement gives Chaousis an 18 percent salary increase for the first 14 months and 2 percent more in each of the remaining years. He will be paid $53,000 from April 23, 2010, to June 30, 2011; $54,590 from July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012; and $56,227, from July 1, 2012, to July 1, 2013.

Chaousis’ current salary is $45,000. His contract would have expired April 23.

Selectmen have had two previous negotiating sessions with Chaousis on the contract, and the decision Monday followed a brief executive session.

Board Chairwoman Louise Chabot said the 18 percent increase is broken down to a 2 percent cost-of-living raise, 10 percent for performance and 6 percent for market adjustment.

The average salary in Maine for a manager of a town of comparable size is $53,100, she said. Selectmen reviewed salary figures provided by the Maine Municipal Association prior to making a decision.

Chaousis’ pact also has the town paying 100 percent for the cost of a Maine Municipal Association family health insurance coverage plan. The town currently pays 95 percent of Chaousis’ plan.

The contract also gives Chaousis 15 days of paid vacation each year and
also allows him to earn and accumulate sick leave at the rate of one
day for each full calendar month of service, with a maximum
accumulation of 90 days.

“I want to make sure it is known that I am not totally happy with this agreement,” Selectman Bill Demaray said, but at this time, with everything going on, it is the best for the town. The agreement puts less financial burden on the town than it would if selectmen had to go out and find another manager, he said.

It offers consistency to the town during a time of budget constraints and loss of tax revenue from the defunct Wausau Paper mill, and a major reconstruction project on Main Street scheduled to begin this summer.

Chaousis came on board last year after the town was without a full-time manager for about six months. He has overseen the transfer of emergency dispatch services to Androscoggin County, as well as the near completion of a walk-bike path.

Selectman Jackie Knight said she was happy with the agreement.

Selectman Jim Collins agreed with Demaray that it was best for the town at this time.

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