Published in the November 18, 2015 edition

By MAUREEN DOHERTY

LYNNFIELD — The town has offered Colleen Tam a starting salary of $97,500 and a three-year contract for the dual position of town accountant/assistant finance director.

The position was advertised in the range of $85,000 to $105,000. Her predecessor, Julie McCarthy, was making $105,000 when she left.

Town Administrator Jim Boudreau has been negotiating her salary and benefits package subsequent to the selectmen voting unanimously to offer her the position after interviewing three finalists on Nov. 4. He has been consulting with both Town Counsel Tom Mullen and Tam’s attorney to come to the final terms.

“I have tried to follow as best as I could the directions I received from the board. The only thing that is different is the board wanted to get this on the lower end of the scale,” Boudreau told the board. He said she was offered a pay raise to remain at her current job as the deputy city auditor in Somerville, where she currently makes about $86,000.

“She is getting less vacation and paying more for her health insurance here, so the offer to get her to agree went a litter higher than what we were looking for. I still think it’s reasonable,” Boudreau said.

“After her first year, she would get the same cost of living adjustment as the clerical union and then she would be eligible for up to another three percent based upon goals and objectives that we will have to set up,” Boudreau explained.

If Tam obtains her Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official designation by the last year of her contract, Boudreau said that it would be “worth $1,500, but that would be a stipend and not added to her salary.”

Tam was also having her attorney review the language of the contract. She requested that language be added to the contract stating termination by the town would be “for cause,” which Boudreau said is reasonable and typically understood in employment contracts as being the case.

Selectmen Chairman Phil Crawford agreed that it was pretty standard as well.

Boudreau said that Tam came to Town Hall on Veterans Day to begin training with McCarthy. McCarthy has already left the position but had offered to help train her successor. Once Tam gives her notice, Boudreau expects that she would start 2 1/2 to 3 weeks later.

Terranova moved to approved the contract, which was approved by the board unanimously.