Council raises mayor's pay to $146,260 on 8-2 vote
Peabody's City Council raised the mayor's salary to $146,260 and moved $2.1 million for police and fire. The council approved the 3 percent raise ordinance 8-2, with Councilors Manning-Martin and Corvo opposed.
City Council · Meeting of March 12, 2026
Peabody's City Council raised the mayor's salary to $146,260 and moved $2.1 million for police and fire. The council approved the 3 percent raise ordinance 8-2, with Councilors Manning-Martin and Corvo opposed. It then voted 10-0 to transfer $2.1 million from free cash, including $850,000 for fire overtime and $305,000 for police overtime, leaving free cash at $7.781 million.
Councilor Gamache, who called overtime "out of control," moved a recommendation, approved by voice vote, that Mayor Betancourt freeze overtime and cut departmental budgets 5 percent through FY26. Councilors said combined police and fire overtime has reached $4.4 million this year, and the police chief said the department lost 708 patrol shifts to long-term absences.
In the full story:
- The Full Story
- Why It Matters
- Key Motions & Votes
- Source
- Peabody's community access TV: City Council meeting, March 12, 2026
- The complete report: 1,244 words
Source: the City Council meeting of March 12, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.
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