Aldermen's pay: Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?

Sep. 8—WILL THE REAL Slim Shady please stand up?

It's not often that one alderman refers to the actions of another as "shady," but that's exactly what happened this past week.

Over the summer, aldermanic Committee on Human Resources and Insurance Chairman and Ward 8 Alderman Ed Sapienza offered a proposal to eliminate health and dental insurance benefits for city aldermen and boost the position's stipend and salary from $5,000 a year to $8,500.

The change would take effect Jan. 6, 2026, when members of the next Board of Mayor and Aldermen are sworn in.

City school board members did something similar in 2022, voting to eliminate their district-provided health insurance and asking aldermen to increase in the stipend for serving on the Board of School Committee to $5,000 per term starting in 2024.

At the committee level, Sapienza's proposal was met with ridicule by Sapienza's brother, Ward 6 Alderman Tony Sapienza, who called it "embarrassing."

Committee members recommended the proposal be received and filed, but at the Sept. 3 meeting of the full board, Ed Sapienza moved to take the item off the table for further discussion, seconded by Chris Morgan.

"This issue has been talked about for years, for many, many years — it's nothing new," Ed Sapienza said. "The Board of School Committee, to their credit, they not only talked about it, they went ahead and did it. This is an opportunity to do what I believe is the financially responsible thing."

Alderman Pat Long said he didn't understand why someone would want to increase the salary for what he considers a "volunteer" position.

"If you don't want it to be a volunteer job, go to $30,000 — might as well be professional," Long said. "$5,000 to me is volunteer. The health, people have the option of choosing the health. I'd never vote to take away somebody's health insurance."

Alderman Bill Barry said every two years, 14 people are elected to the position of alderman by voters.

"And every two years that person that gets elected has the choice whether they want to receive health benefits or not," Barry said. "I just think it's kinda shady, I'll use the word shady, that someone's going to propose to take benefits away from some people but then give themself a pay raise, a possible pay raise if he decides to run again and wins again.

"I just think it's kind of odd that someone would make a proposal like this — it's a choice that everyone has the ability to make every two years when they get elected they have that choice."

"l don't appreciate that any alderman would call another alderman 'shady' because they feel this is an opportunity to save money," Alderman Joe Kelly Levasseur said. "I don't believe that Mr. Sapienza is doing this for any shady reasons."

Ed Sapienza's motion was rejected by the full board, 5-9, with Long, Barry, Tony Sapienza, Dan Goonan, Christine Fajardo, Jim Burkush, Norm Vincent, Kelly Thomas and Dan O'Neil opposed. A motion to receive and file the proposal then passed on a voice vote.

To paraphrase rapper Eminem, the whole exchange was like a head trip to listen to.

"I don't know how the real Slim Shady got brought up," Ed Sapienza said.

New name, same super

Anyone reading stories about the opening of schools in Manchester in this publication or elsewhere in recent days might think the city has a new superintendent, after reading quotes from Jenn Chmiel, rather than Jenn Gillis.

There hasn't been another change in leadership at the district offices. Following a change in her personal life, Superintendent Chmiel says she has "returned to the use of my maiden name."

"I am proud of my maiden name as my parents were lifelong educators, and I want their name to be a part of my career," Chmiel said in a text. "Just highlighting the people who were key to creating my love of education."

And for anyone wondering, her maiden name is pronounced "ka-Meel."

Grading 'No Grade'

Manchester school officials have been asked by members of the school board's Teaching and Learning Committee to put together a team of teachers and administrators to look at the effectiveness of the district's "no grade" policy, also known as the "NG" policy.

The school board voted last October to end the practice of giving "no grade" or "NG" to high school students who are passing a class in which they have five unexcused absences.

The change to the district's school attendance policy took effect Nov. 9. It affects only students who have passed a specific class. Students who are failing and have accumulated more than five unexcused absences still receive a failing grade.

Supporters of the change described how the current policy of issuing "no grade" disproportionately affects students for whom English is not a native language and whose parents may face language barriers when explaining absences.

Those opposed said they were concerned about the message the policy change could send to students, implying it's OK to skip classes if the threat of receiving an "NG" were removed.

Prior to the change, Manchester students with at least five unexcused absences received an "NG," equivalent to a 64.99% grade.

According to data presented by Assistant Superintendent Nicole Doherty, 1,139 students received at least one NG grade during the 2022-23 school year. Of these, 43% were students from homes where English was not the primary language spoken.

Once formed, the new group that Teaching and Learning Committee Chair Karen Soule asked the district to create is expected to report their findings back to board members, who will then decide whether to make any changes.

Myrna Lot upcharge

Aldermen have given final approval to a request from city parking division director Christopher Goodnow to change the rates for the Myrna Lot on the northern end of North Commercial Street to $1 per hour.

The rate for the lot had been 75 cents per hour for the first three hours, increasing until it reached a maximum of $17 per day.

Goodnow said in a memo to aldermen that most people who use the lot pay for a $55 monthly parking permit. Goodnow said the rate change brings the Myrna Lot in line with other lots across the city.

Paul Feely is the City Hall reporter for the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News. Reach him at pfeely@unionleader.com.