Responding to some claims from Candidates Forum
Debunking the misstatement from the Candidate’s Forum that now “they” want to defund the police… and the allegation that SH does not support Town Employees having opportunities for job progression.
On Town Hiring
I value and appreciate the tireless efforts and significant contributions of every Town employee. I understand that the strength of our town is commensurate with ensuring the necessary support and resources for the effective functioning of the Town workforce. In addition, I know the value of well tuned efforts to recruit and support volunteers to serve effectively on boards and committees.
I strongly support career ladders and opportunities for town employees to move up through the ranks. I am a strong advocate for our Town employees and their fair representation. I believe employee compensation, including benefits, should keep pace with inflation and be commensurate with their public sector counterparts. When it comes to job classification and compensation, I understand that it is necessary for a town to have clear job descriptions and selection process and promotion criteria. To that end, I support the good work of the Town HR Director.
We would do the town a disservice if we fail to conduct appropriate, thorough, wide searches and effective recruitment based on clear criteria and standards for key positions.
On funding for the police department
I do not seek or support defunding our police in any way. I whole-heartedly support the Canton Police Department. To that end, I advocate taking concrete steps to ensure optimal operations and functioning of our officers of the law. I have been speaking to residents about the need for stronger and more transparent leadership, investing in additional training for mental health skills and incident response, backfilling of vacant positions, and evidence collection - including the secure storage of body camera footage along with implementation and adherence to retention and release guidelines.
I stand by my position that the search for a new Canton Police Chief should include a robust nationwide search (and acknowledges this is a unique situation).
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data shows that in December 2024, total employer compensation costs for state and local government workers averaged $63.46 per hour, with wages and salaries averaging $39.22 and benefits averaging $24.23.
Town of Canton Salaries
Highest salary at the Town of Canton in year 2023 was $322,389.
Number of employees at the Town of Canton in year 2023 was 1,481.
Average annual salary was $47,337 and median salary was $29,898.
Town of Canton's average salary is 1 percent higher than the USA average and median salary is 31 percent lower than US median salary.
