Gardner sworn officers and city staff will be receiving a two percent increase cost of living compensation bonus and benefit package. Todd Winters, mayor, approved the updated salary structure and compensation plan at the March 7 city council meeting. The COLA would be in addition to Gardner’s annual merit pay increase which was budgeted at $286,500. The starting salary for a police officer is currently $21.646 per hour; Gardner has 32 sworn officers currently on staff (includes all ranks) and six vacant sworn officer positions. Matt Wolff, finance director, said the plan is to help ease the burden of the current seven percent inflation. “Everything is going up,” he said. Wolff said it would also help make the city more competitive and hiring and retaining sworn officers was a national issue not just a local issue.
Source: Gardner News
