Deerfield Personnel Board Recommends 1% COLA
Other Committee · Meeting of January 7, 2026
Deerfield Personnel Board recommends a 1% cost-of-living raise for town employees amid soaring health costs. The board voted 3-0 Wednesday to forward the recommendation to the Select Board for fiscal 2027 budget development, after staff cited three separate 20 percent health insurance increases since July 2025. A 1 percent raise would cost about $13,000; board member James Cambius said he had "heard nothing that would indicate we are going to have a lot of wiggle room in the budget." The board also voted 3-0 to approve an updated conservation agent job description presented by Pete Law of the Conservation Commission, and heard South County EMS's Josh Sparks propose expanded bereavement leave after noting employees "get one day off and two days later" are expected back on ambulance shifts.
Two other job descriptions, for a police administrative assistant and a new principal assessor, were held for a January 20 follow-up meeting.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 833 words
Source: the Other Committee meeting of January 7, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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