Police And Fire Chiefs Receive Merit Pay Increases As Of Start FY ’24

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Photo: James MacIsaac (left) and David DeStefano

Recently, the Belmont Select Board approved merit pay increases for Belmont’s public safety department leaders. Each increase has an effective start date of July 1, 2023.

Belmont Police Chief James MacIsaac received a 3 percent bump to his salary as part of his yearly review. The Board scored MacIsaac with an overall score of 4.93 on a scale of 0 to 5, with Board Chair Roy Epstein saying that “he’s a model of a modern police chief bringing a unique balance of experience, calmness, and humor, and to a host of challenges of management issues.”

Board Vice Chair Elizabeth Dionne noted MacIsaac’s “strength in public communication, leadership and tackling difficult issues head-on and is clearly concerned about the well-being of the department including the morale and adequate staffing while delivering effective and proactive public safety for the town.”

Belmont Police Chief James MacIsaac

“When you hear stories about police departments everywhere in which things go wrong. I think consistently Chief MacIsaac has demonstrated an ability to take on difficult situations and have a positive outcome and avoid trouble,” said Epstein.

“Overall, Chief MacIsaac is a tremendous asset, and he looks forward to serving the community for many years,” he said.

MacIsaac’s annual salary is currently $210,642.79.

Belmont Fire Chief David DeStefano saw his pay increase by 2.5 percent to $168,642.79.

“I could not be more happy with the fire chief and his performance,” said Town Administrator Patrice Garvin of DeStefano’s tenure. “I think the department’s morale has gone up tremendously… and he’s building a great team. He’s instituted ways to make the department more visible in terms of promotions … and he’s always coming up with creative ways to get the fire department more visible into the community.”

Belmont Fire Chief David DeStefano

Garvin Receives High Praise From Select Board In Annual Review, 3% Merit Pay Increase (And Told To Take A Vaca!)

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Photo: Belmont Town Administrator Patrice Garvin

It’s not usual in an annual job review that the person is told to take a vacation. But that was Elizabeth Dionne’s recommendation to Belmont Town Administrator Patrice Garvin during the Select Board’s annual performance assessment on Monday, Sept. 25.

“Take more vacation time!” wrote Dionne in her evaluation of Garvin, who is nearing six years as the town’s chief administrative officer. “I am very concerned about burnout [as Belmont has] been in crisis mode for a long time and Patrice has provided a steady hand at the tiller.”

Being scolded for not taking more off was as harsh a criticism the town administrator received as Garvin’s Select Board bosses gave her high marks for the work she performed over the past fiscal year.

“I have the highest regard for Patrice,” said Board Chair Roy Epstein. “Not everyone in Belmont realizes the demands put upon the town administrator, and how difficult it is to be successful in this role.”

The board was in sync ranking Garvin with nearly identical evaluations of her performance for the past year. Garvin received the top mark of five on a scale ranging from 0 to 5 in five of eight categories – personal character characteristics, professionalism, Select Board support and relations, organizational leadership and personal management, and financial management. Her lowest ranking was in public relations with an average of 4. Her overall score was 4.79/5.

The board’s written evaluations were equally united in their plaudits for Garvin’s execution of her job.

“She is extraordinarily devoted and tireless in her efforts to make the town run well for the residents and employees. I observe this every day and believe she is one of the foremost practitioners in her field,” said Epstein.

“She continues to provide highly effective and dedicated support to members of the Select Board,” said Mark Paolillo. “She has built a strong financial team and has strong financial skills that resulted in a balanced fiscal year 2024 budget that addressed many of the service gaps and needs within our town. areas of improvement.”

“[Garvin] is not afraid of change,” said the Board Vice Chair Dionne. “She is not threatened by strong people around her, and she is tough and resilient. You can learn a lot about someone from the people she hires. Patrice obviously has solid and well-deserved calm self-confidence. As a result, she has surrounded herself by smart and capable people, creating a truly impressive leadership team.”

Dionne said she personally feels Patrice, as “a strong female leader,” receives “criticism from employees, unions, and certain members of the public that might not be leveled against a male in the same role. The Select Board must be more active in providing her with visible support and political cover.”

Garvin thanked the board for their continued support for her leadership in running the town’s daily operations. “The fact that you scored me similarly tells me that I’m doing the same thing for each of you, which is I couldn’t be more proud of that I serve you as the board,” told the board Garvin at Monday’s meeting. Garvin praised the team she has built in her six years.

“I can’t tell you the work that we’ve been able to do in a short time. It’s been amazing,” she said. “I continue to look at ways to improve the town, departments, and the staff. I really enjoy working in Belmont, and I hope to continue.”

The review was followed by the board approving a three percent merit increase, with Garvin’s annual salary increased to $212,384 effective at the start of the 2024 fiscal year on July 1. Epstein said Garvin’s salary is slightly lower than the average of comparative towns and cities in the region.

Garvin’s contract expires in January 2027.

Garvin Gets High Performance Marks From Belmont Select Board, 2.5 Percent Merit Increase Approved

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Photo: Patrice Garvin at Monday’s Select Board meeting

As the town prepares to move forward with historic changes to its budget process and governmental structure, Belmont’s Chief Administrative Officer received top marks from the elected executive arm of the town during her annual performance review.

Each board member praised Town Administrator Patrice Garvin for her professionalism inside Town Hall and among residents and her fiscal leadership, for which the board gave her its highest marks.

“Her opinion is always valued, her financial insight is always detailed, and her view is always on what is best for Belmont,” wrote Select Board member Adam Dash. “She is a great Town Administrator, and Belmont would be worse off without her.”

Responding to the review, Garvin told the board that she sees it “as a privilege to come and work for the town of Belmont every day.” Noting that she could not do her job with her “amazing” staff and department heads, Garvin said there is “mutual trust and respect for each other, and it goes a long way” when some departments are “really bare bones” in staffing.

“As you know, that can be challenging … but I always keep in the back of my head that what I’m doing is for the residents. It’s not for myself. So I leave my ego at the door, and I keep working.”

According to Human Resources Director Shawna Healey, Garvin’s performance review consisted of self-evaluation and a number-based performance evaluation on all aspects of her role as the town’s chief administrative officer. After calculating the board’s ratings on several categories, including personal characteristics, professionalism, her relationship with the board, and organizational leadership, Garvin received an overall rating of 4.67 out of 5.

Last year, amid Covid-19-related restrictions and budget constraints, Garvin received a 4.16 rating.

If there was one area, the board noted her expertise was in financial management, which each member rated her as a ‘5’ in the category’s six subsets.

“Patrice is an expert financial manager,” wrote Roy Epstein. “The [fiscal year] ’24 budget process will be a critical test of her abilities. Simple and clear communication with the public on these topics is also very important.”

Galvin’s lowest ratings came in the Public Relations/Communications category, with a need to be more effective in transmitting the goals and aims of the town to the public.

Saying that Garvin should remember to emphasize her own professional development, Dash noted while he “appreciates her frank and direct approach, sometimes a softer response would work better.”

The board approved a 2.5 percent merit increase at Monday’s meeting, in line with what the police and fire chiefs recently received as part of their reviews, said Healey. The merit increase is retroactive to July 1, the same date as a 2 percent cost of living adjustment. Garvin’s current annual salary after the two adjustments is $202,156.

Select Board Gives Garvin Top Marks In Annual Review, Acknowledging Growing Public Criticism Of Government

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Photo: Belmont Town Administrator Patrice Garvin.

In a time of financial constraint and pandemic, Belmont Town Administrator Patrice Garvin received top marks from the Select Board during her annual review held at the board’s Sept. 13 meeting.

“One of the reasons I voted to hire Patrice was to get us to do things better and differently and not just continue the status quo and be a bean counter but to be a visionary and a leader,” said Adam Dash, Select Board chair. And while she has received her share of criticism – particularity in online forums – “it is a lot easier to just go with the flow than it is to change things. I think [Garvin] has changed things a lot since she’s been here and I think we’re better for it.”

“We live in an era of increasing suspicion of government, even in small town like Belmont, so helping to allay these fears has become an important requirement of the town administrator,” said Vice Chair Roy Epstein.

After the review, the Select Board awarded Garvin a 1.5 percent increase to her annual salary effective July 1 bumping it up to $193,400.

Garvin’s performance review consisted of a self evaluation and a number-based performance evaluation on all aspects of her role as the town’s chief administrative officer, according the Human Resources Director Shawna Healey.

Healey said Garvin’s overall rating was a 4.18 on a scale of one to five. The members also provided written reviews and areas of improvement in the coming year.

The public portion of the review including the scores and board’s written review can be found at the bottom of the article.

In his public comments Monday, Dash said that Garvin “is the best town administrator I’ve worked for in Belmont.”

“The times are tough, but she’s unflappable and is always focused on doing what is best for the town. We are lucky to have her recognized strengths include resiliency creativity, adaptivity financial acumen with a ‘can do’ attitude,” said Dash.

Epstein said that Garvin is an “outstanding” town administrator who manages an enormous number and variety of responsibilities for what she brings a wealth of experience, great intelligence and tremendous work ethic.

“[Garvin] in direct manner and working with the Select Board ability to attend to multiple pressing issues simultaneously proved success, proven success and winning outside grants, she did a spectacular job managing our COVID response, both operationally and financially.”

“There can be a torrent of criticism of the town administrator [as] changing an organization and institutional practices is an is inevitably controversial – nonetheless, it is her burden to deal with – and to find a positive resolution, Patricia is maturing in this area. It’s a difficult two way street, as she acknowledges in her self evaluation.”

Board Member Mark Paolillo reiterated his colleagues praise for Garvin’s strong work ethic as she is motivated to achieve good results while also acknowledging her strong support of all department heads and those who report to her who she “treats … with dignity and respect.”

Garvin “needs to improve her performance and public relations and communications to community leadership,” said Paolillo, as “there is a high level presently of mistrust amongst our town residents towards town administration and town and government to fiscal management.” That would include a need to develop a clear and timely understanding of budgets including overages and turn backs.

Garvin responded by thanking the board, the town’s department heads, Schools Superintendent John Phelan and everyone who works with her daily.

“It is my honor and privilege to work for the town of Belmont. I work very hard to come in every day with the attitude to improve the town in any way I can,” said Garvin.

Saying she welcomes the feedback both positive and negative as an opportunity to improve her work. ”I am someone who definitely always wanting to do better,” Garvin said.

Gavin also addressed the issue of growing public distrust of local government. “I think that it is very much on my mind, the mistrust that is in the community. Unfortunately, I do not think it’s indicative to Belmont. I talk to a lot of managers and administrators in Massachusetts, and we’re all struggling with similar issues and trying to convey to the public that trust, and to alleviate that suspicion that that I think is out there.”

“I will definitely work harder to make sure that the residents of the town can trust the board, the administration as it has been a challenge,” said Garvin. “The last year and a half has been very challenging to do the job itself and then to add a pandemic to it, it really does test the limits of patience, it tests your limits of staying positive and and trying to take that criticism and rise above it,” she said.

Garvin pointed to the relationships she made with the residents who volunteer on boards and committees “who come with pure selflessness to improve their town” and who she calls her “partners in crime” to improve the day-to-day lives of the citizens of Belmont, “which I know I come to work every day, aspiring to do.”