Town Manager Andrew Nota has signed a three-year contract through August 2025 that includes a salary bump to $186,000, which would be the highest in the state according to figures from the R.I. League of Cities and Towns. The contract was approved by the Town Council at their Feb. 28 meeting.
“We feel his value to the town was really tremendous. Our goal was to establish a long-term partnership,” said Council President Mark Schwager Wednesday. “A lot of communities have been looking for managers – South Kingstown, Barrington, West Warwick, Westerly, Coventry. There’s a lot of demand for top-notch talent. We want to make sure he’ll have the professional rewards of staying in East Greenwich.”
Nota was hired by this same Town Council in August 2019; he started in September 2019 with a salary of $150,000 a year. After two years, his salary was $156,000. The new contract bumps up his salary to $171,000 through August, after which it will go to $186,000, with 2 percent raises for each of the subsequent two years.
According to the League of Cities and Towns, Newport had the highest paid chief executive, with a salary of $185,133, followed by Westerly at $170,000, Middletown at $166,000, South Kingstown at $152,712, Coventry at $150,000 and Barrington at $149,800.
“I can’t say thank you enough to the Town Council for the confidence and support they’ve expressed in me,” said Nota Thursday. “We work incredibly well together in balancing local interests, addressing critical local needs and in continuing to move the community forward even during challenging and difficult times.”
While COVID-19 has guided much of Nota’s tenure – he’d been on the job only six months when the pandemic arrived in Rhode Island – Nota said there was progress in other areas, including building up the finance department and recruiting “top-notch professionals” who understand what it means to serve the public. Two plus years after a cyber attack on the town, Nota said the town had also been investing heavily in technology.
In planning for the future, Nota said, “I am very pleased with the progress we’ve made as a professional staff and the direction the community is headed…. EG remains a place where people want to live, work and visit and it is rewarding for me to play even a small role in making that happen.”
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I think he does a nice job here. The raise is pretty hefty but I think he will prove his value. Thanks for trying to slow down traffic, that remains one of our biggest concerns. We need adequate sidewalks and better public parks and playgrounds. The town should have lit basketball-multipurpose courts, swimming pool, and even an ice rink. We could offer so much more to this vibrant town and now, coming out of COVID, is the time to start taking on these initiatives. Not trying to be all negative so I really like the revitalization of Main Street and the medical access development on South County Trail. We have a lot of potential, please make some good decisions and stay transparent. Best wishes.
There is no one else just as qualified, if not more , who the town could hire for just a trifle less?!
So the Governor of RI makes $145,755 and this guy will be making close to 200K with bennies. Way overpaid! How does this make sense? This Town Council is way over their head.
If you support East Greenwich public schools, you should be paying attention. The town manager does not support the schools. Neither does the Town Council. Look at where they choose to spend taxpayer dollars. Look at what the town manager says, writes, and does. Can you even understand what he writes? Do you think he or the Town Council really want transparency? This salary decision by the Town Council is an outrage, and should be a wake-up call to this community. Political party affiliation means nothing in Rhode Island. We are dangerously close to Gayle Corrigan territory. Pay attention, folks.
Well, some November 8 decisions were just made easier.
Don’t blame Nota he just wants to be paid what the average EG fireman makes……
Wild Bill – You certainly won’t be saying that heaven forbid you evah need them … Thank you to ALL firefighters
Well earned, well deserved !! You get what you pay for!
No talk of his $700/month car allowance.
This goes deeper than anyone can imagine.
The expansion of all government has proven itself to be less effective and more costly in serving the taxpayer. With transparency you should include the benefits package ( vacations, cars, sick, insurances etc.) and perhaps to see the “increase “bump”. Government has become too oppressive and lacks checks & balances.