WINDHAM – Due to unanimous action by the Windham Town Council Tuesday night, the town clerk’s salary will rise 3 percent to $56,959 for the coming year.

The raise is in line with across-the-board salary increases that non-union employees in Windham government received this year. The wage increase comes after three years of wage freezes due to the economic downturn.

Prompted by Councilor Matt Noel – who tried a few years ago to convince the council to move to an appointed town clerk model – the council also spent about 30 minutes debating the clerk’s salary. Noel first proposed a bonus for Town Clerk Linda Morrell, after measuring her salary against elected and appointed town clerks in the area in 2011. Those results show Morrell earned 114 percent of elected clerks and about 95 percent of appointed clerks. The mean average pegged Morrell at about 99 percent of what the typical town clerk earns in the area.

“Linda does an exceptional job and I think we’re fortunate to have her there,” Noel said. “That being said, I’m a fond believer of looking at those statistics and seeing how her position, as it’s listed as an elected official, stacks up with those others in our community. And as such, it does so very well. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t recognize her good work.”

Noel was worried that since the experienced Morrell is elected – and, as such, could be defeated if a more popular candidate runs – the new town clerk, who may be inexperienced and incompetent, could earn the high salary, as well.

“You’re setting a salary for, yes, a very good town clerk. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the next town clerk is of the same stature and capability of our current town clerk,” Noel said, “So, therefore, I think a bonus is a more applicable means of adjusting that in light of where her elected salary is amongst those serving.”

Chairman Scott Hayman initially agreed with the bonus, but after other councilors, most notably Tommy Gleason, said Morrell should be treated similarly to other town employees, Hayman suggested a sunset provision that would require future councils to review salary levels for new clerks when Morrell no longer serves.

Councilors got on board with the sunset provision and voted 5-0 (Dennis Welch absent) to approve the 3 percent raise. The provision, the council decided, drops the clerk’s salary to $40,000 when Morrell leaves the position. The council at that time could gauge the qualifications of the new clerk and adjust his or her salary accordingly.