Selectmen Vote 3-2 to Halve Assistant Town Manager Bernie Cooper’s Pay Raise-October 21, 1981

Plasko Reverses Vote, Slashing Raise from 10% to 5% – October 21, 1981

Just three weeks after approving a substantial salary increase for Assistant Town Manager Bernie Cooper, the Norwood Board of Selectmen voted 3-2 last night to rescind half of the hike.

On September 29, the board had voted 3-2 to boost Cooper’s annual salary from $23,441 to $25,927—representing a 10 percent increase. However, Selectman William J. Plasko changed his position at last night’s meeting, stating that he had been confused during the initial vote and, “on reflection,” realized he had supported twice the increase he intended. Plasko successfully proposed reducing the new salary to $24,558, effectively cutting the pay bump down to 5 percent.

“I wanted a 5 percent merit increase,” Plasko explained. Cooper did not attend the meeting, and when reached later by telephone, declined to make an immediate comment.

Sharp Division Among Town Officials – October 21, 1981

The reversal sparked immediate friction among town leaders. Town Manager John J. Carroll, who had originally championed the 10 percent raise, called the board’s sudden about-face “unbelievable.”

“You’re going to take the money away after giving it to him three weeks ago?” Carroll protested.

Selectmen William F. Butters and Walter J. Dempsey, who maintained their support for the higher salary, argued that Cooper’s compensation should reflect his contributions. “He’s worth the pay,” Butters asserted. “Even if we did feel an error was made, we should swallow it.” Dempsey echoed the sentiment: “If you’re going to have good employees, you’ve got to keep them happy and pay them.”

Conversely, Board Chairman John F. Kinnaly and Selectman Thomas A. Riolo noted they had consistently favored the smaller 5 percent increment from the outset.

Personnel Board Concerns and Comparative Pay Scales – October 21, 1981

The salary adjustment followed earlier resistance from the Personnel Advisory Board, which voted 4-1 against the 10 percent raise in September and subsequently deadlocked 2-2 on the 5 percent alternative. Joseph T. Turner, acting chairman of the personnel board, had voiced concern that elevating Cooper’s pay would trigger a ripple effect of wage demands from municipal employees whose salaries would fall below or match the assistant manager’s new tier.

Under the original 10 percent increase, Cooper would have outpaced the light department’s general foreman and electrical engineer while matching the pay scale of the library director, building inspector, and assistant public works superintendent. The revised 5 percent raise placed Cooper’s salary on par with the general foreman and electrical engineer.

When Carroll initially recommended the upgrade in a July 9 letter to selectmen, he wrote, “No one in town is more deserving of an upgrading than Bernie Cooper.” Carroll highlighted Cooper’s extensive responsibilities, which included serving as general manager in the town manager’s absence, pursuing state and federal grants, exercising expenditure and contract approval authority, overseeing the CETA program, and assisting with municipal budget preparation.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger