HR director gets contract extension

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NAUGATUCK — The Board of Education has extended Human Resources Director John Lawlor’s contract for three years.

The board approved the contract at its July 9 meeting. The contract, which runs until June 30, 2018, includes a 7 percent pay increase this year and an extra week of vacation. The increase brings Lawlor’s salary to $108,000.

Lawlor serves as the director of human resources for the school board and the borough.

The borough pays a $15,000 stipend to the school board to offset Lawlor’s salary. Mayor Robert Mezzo said the borough’s stipend remains the same, despite the salary increase.

Board of Education Vice Chair Dorothy Neth-Kunin said the board took many factors into consideration when crafting the contract, including market numbers and comparing salaries in other districts nearby Naugatuck.

“We took all of these factors into consideration and also the market when we were discussing the contract,” Neth-Kunin said

Board of Education Chairman David Heller pointed out that communities similar in size to Naugatuck that do not share a human resource director between the board of education and municipality pay more than the borough.

According to Heller, Hamden spends $92,000 on its municipal human resources director and $129,000 on a human resources director for its board of education. Bristol pays a combined $275,000 to ensure it has a municipal and board of education human resources director, Heller said.

Heller said Lawlor has saved the board tens of thousands of dollars since he was hired.

“John’s been saving us a great deal of money in terms of legal costs and legal expenses,” Heller said.

Board members Scott Slauson and Diana Malone voted against the contract.

After the meeting, Slauson said he felt a 7 percent pay increase was too high.