Chelsea City Manager Fidel Maltez has asked the City Council to extend his contract by four years, through December 31, 2031. On Monday night the council sent the request to its Conference committee.
Maltez’s current agreement, signed October 6, 2023, runs from January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2027. In a letter dated October 28, he wrote that the agreement allows him to request negotiations by June 30, 2027, but that he wanted to settle the matter before the end of this year because the second half of the fiscal year is the city’s busiest period.
What the renewal says
- A new four-year term from January 1, 2028, to December 31, 2031.
- No change to his base salary, which carries over from the current agreement, and a 3 percent raise each year, the same structure as now. The renewal does not state the salary figure.
- Use of a city vehicle, including personal use, with insurance, fuel and repairs paid by the city.
- 20 vacation days and 15 sick days a year, with sick leave building up without limit.
- Removal for cause, defined as a felony conviction, serious conduct unbecoming a city manager, or repeated inefficiency or incompetence after written notice and 30 days to correct it.
- If the council removes him without cause, a lump-sum payment of six months’ salary.
- A council evaluation by April 1 of each year from 2028 through 2031, covering areas including finance, economic development, public safety and overall effectiveness.
Any terms not changed by the renewal stay as written in the 2023 agreement.
At the meeting
Councillor Manuel Teshe moved to send the order to the Conference committee, and the council agreed by voice vote. Councillor Todd Taylor said the council will soon hold its evaluation of the city manager and asked that the committee meet after that, so councillors can discuss the evaluation before the extension. Councillor Leo Robinson said he negotiated Maltez’s current contract and is looking forward to the process.
In his letter, Maltez wrote that over the past three years the city has strengthened public safety, focused on economic development and supported residents and small businesses. “I believe we are just getting started,” he wrote.
The meeting did not set a date for the committee.
Watch the full meeting on Chelsea Community Cable.