The mayor of Ferguson, Missouri, says police Officer Darren Wilson will not receive a severance package as part of his resignation from the police force.

FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) -- The mayor of Ferguson, Missouri, says police Officer Darren Wilson will not receive a severance package as part of his resignation from the police force.

Mayor James Knowles said Sunday that the St. Louis suburb and Wilson have severed their ties and that Wilson won't receive any further pay or benefits following his resignation Saturday.

Wilson's lawyer says Wilson resigned because threats had been made against other officers and the department because of his continued employment.

A grand jury on Monday decided not to indict Wilson for killing 18-year-old Michael Brown during an August confrontation, sparking widespread demonstrations.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Linda M. St. Marie 

Linda M. (Czelusniak) St. Marie, 51, passed away on Wednesday. Born in Connecticut, she graduated from the High School of Commerce, and attained a bachelor's degree in business from Western New England University. She was an active member of Holy Cross Church in Springfield. She worked for Ace Fire and Water Restoration. Some of her favorite pastimes were spending time with her family, reading and listening to country music. She enjoyed spending summers camping with her family at Roaring Brook Campground. She was an avid fan of the Red Sox and had a lifelong passion for collecting anything with tigers.

Border patrol impacts Western Massachusetts because Interstates 91 and 89 lead directly to local communities.

The Vermont State Police and Quebec's Provincial Police, known as the Surete du Quebec, will participate in a joint exercise with federal border agencies to address unique challenges of policing at the international border in the upcoming week.

The training will be held Monday and Tuesday at Jay Peak Resort, which is located about five miles from the Canadian border. Law enforcement representatives from New York and Maine will also attend, according to the Vermont Department of Public Safety Public Information Office.

Border patrol impacts Western Massachusetts because Interstates 91 and 89 lead directly to local communities.

This is the fourth year police from both countries have participated in a joint training. Participants include the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, U.S. Border Patrol, Canadian Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Field Operations.

At the workshop participants will explore ways to enhance cooperation and collaboration. The first day will be training and practical exercises will be held the second day.

"Terrorism, natural disasters and the needs of our respective citizens for public safety services are not restricted to or prevented due to town, county, state, provincial or international borders," Vermont State Police and Division of Emergency Management & Homeland Security Lieutenant Michael Manning said. "This workshop is an opportunity to engage our state, provincial and federal partners in a series of discussion based exercises in order to address challenges and identify best practices for more effective management of incidents that require multiagency response and to continue to enhance cooperation and collaboration amongst allied public safety agencies. Our goal is to eliminate the border as a barrier."

Funeral arrangements have been finalized for retired Bishop Joseph Maguire, spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield from 1977 to 1991. Maguire died at the age of 95.

SPRINGFIELD — David Lucey and his mother Katherine Lucey traveled nearly two hours from Lynnfield, Ma. to attend Bishop Joseph Maguire's wake held Sunday.

"He was a caring, warm, gentle man and he meant a lot to our family," said David Lucey.

Maguire, the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield from 1977 to 1991, died on Nov. 23 at the age of 95.

Many people came out to attend the wake held at St. Michael's Cathedral on State Street. They came to pay their respects and greet his family.

The family issued a prepared statement about their brother and uncle:

"The Waystack/Maguire family has been touched by the outpouring of love for our beloved Uncle Joe by the wonderful people of the Diocese of Springfield as well as people from throughout western Massachusetts. We, as his family, have had the benefit of Bishop Maguire's love and support for all our lives. We now realize that he shared that same love and support with all the people of western Massachusetts - you were all his family! As Bishop Maguire observed, 'when a good person dies, their influence and example live on.' We, as his family, witnessed his example with our late mother and his sister Grace - and that legacy will sustain us."

For the Luceys, Maguire happened to be a part of the most significant days in their lives.

"He married me and my husband 47 years ago," said Katherine Lucey. "He married my son and my twin daughters, he baptized my children. He was a very special man."

David Lucey said Bishop Maguire and his grandfather were classmates at Boston College and stayed friends for many years.

Viewing hours are until 7 p.m. tonight when a short vigil will be held. Earlier today the current Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski said a short prayer and asked those present to remember Maguire for his commitment to the church and the community.

Viviano Rosario, of Springfield, never met Bishop Maguire personally, but still attended the wake.

"I just wanted to show my respect to a man of God who did a lot for this community for many years," said Rosario, who attends the Spanish-language service at the Cathedral held every Sunday.

A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be held at the cathedral tomorrow, Dec. 1, at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at St. Michael's Cemetery Mausoleum, 1601 State St., Springfield.

WWLP-22News will provide live coverage of the funeral and burial. Streaming video of the funeral will also be available through the diocesan website, ">www.diospringfield.org.

The diocese has created a Bishop Maguire Tribute page on Facebook, so people can offer their condolences and memories.

For Kathy Murphy, the difference between being gay or straight is $583 a month.

NEW YORK -- For Kathy Murphy, the difference between being gay or straight is $583 a month.

Retirement should have been a "slam dunk," the 62-year-old Texas widow says. She saved, bought a house with her spouse and has a pension through her employer.

But Murphy's golden years have not been as secure as they should have been. She is missing out on thousands of dollars a year in Social Security benefits simply because she was married to a woman, not a man.

Murphy fell into a loophole in Social Security that denies survivor benefits to same-sex couples depending on what state they live in. Had Murphy and her wife, Sara Barker, lived next door in New Mexico, a state that does recognize same-sex marriage, this wouldn't have been an issue.

"If I had been straight, getting widow's benefits would have been a slam dunk," Murphy says. "I never thought I would live to see same-sex marriage, but the government still minimizes my marriage and my relationship of 32 years."

Murphy could be thought of as just one of the many baby boomers who are not prepared for retirement. But while the group overall is not ready to stop working, gay boomers face challenges that make them even more vulnerable, experts say.

For many, decades of workplace discrimination impaired their earning power. The AIDS crisis caused lasting financial and psychological damage, particularly for gay men. And legal pitfalls within Social Security, the cornerstone in any senior's financial planning, have left gay boomers ill-equipped for retirement.

Same-sex couples in general are likely to have saved far less for retirement than their straight counterparts, according to an exclusive analysis of the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The center is jointly operated by The Associated Press and NORC, a leading research center at the University of Chicago.

The median retirement savings for a same-sex couple is roughly $66,000, while straight married couples have roughly $88,000, according to the data, which looks at the finances of straight and same-sex couples aged 19 to 95 going back to 2001.

This data, as well as other studies, show that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults tend to be poorer, in worse health, and most often, alone -- with no family to care for them when they reach old age.

"In the aging world, there has been little regard for even the existence of LGBT older people, let alone their particular social and financial needs," says Michael Adams, executive director of SAGE, a national organization focused on social services and advocacy for LGBT seniors.

When financial firm Prudential asked LGBT adults aged 25 to 68 last year if they were "well prepared" for retirement, only 14 percent said they were, compared with 29 percent of the total population.

And in a sad irony, many of the aging pioneers of gay rights are too old to reap the retirement benefits from the marriage laws they championed.

LOWER EARNINGS

Gays and lesbians have faced higher unemployment, lower wages and a workplace where discrimination based upon sexual orientation was common. While many corporations have non-discrimination policies now, it is still legal to fire someone for their sexual orientation in 21 states, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

Two polls, one by Pew Research in 2013 and one by Gallup in 2012, reached the same conclusion: LGBT individuals were more likely to make less money than their straight peers during their careers. Gay men earned as much as 32 percent less than straight men, according to research by the Williams Institute, a California-based think tank that focuses on LGBT issues.

As a result, gay men and women over 65 are more likely to end up in poverty. Lesbians, who face wage discrimination because of both their gender and sexual orientation, are even more vulnerable.

Being LGBT "just amplifies the financial problems women already face in the workforce," says Ineke Mushovic, executive director of the Movement Advancement Project, a Denver-based LGBT-focused think tank.

The Gallup poll found that 15.9 percent of gay men over 65 were near or below the Federal poverty line, compared to 9.7 percent of heterosexual men in the same age group. While the Gallup poll showed poverty rates for straight and gay women to be statistically similar, other studies, including a 2009 report by the Williams Institute, showed lesbian couples over the age of 65 were twice as likely to live below the poverty line as opposite-sex couples, and were much more likely to be on public assistance programs such as food stamps.

MARRIED WITHOUT BENEFITS

Gay couples were only recently extended the core elements of the retirement safety net available to married straight couples: inheritance of a spouse's Social Security benefits and pensions. But even with the recent expansion of gay marriage, same-sex couples still face discrimination when it comes to benefits.

When a husband or wife in a straight marriage dies, their spouses can typically collect Social Security benefits based on the higher earner's work history. Not so for many gay spouses. Only widows or widowers in states that recognize same-sex marriage can get that higher income.

Why? Social Security differs from most federal programs in that the law requires it to use individual states' definition of marriage. That requirement is why the Obama Administration was unable to extend Social Security benefits to all same-sex couples nationwide, even after the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act last year. Before then, the federal government did not recognize same-sex marriage at all, even in states where it was legal. Domestic partnerships are still unrecognized by the federal government.

In Florida, Arlene Goldberg faces a retirement of significantly less income. When her partner of 47 years, Carol Goldwasser, died in March, Goldberg was denied her wife's Social Security survivor benefits on the basis that Florida does not recognize same-sex marriage.

Goldwasser's death certificate said "single, never married," even though the couple wed in New York in 2011. Had they been living in New York, Goldberg would earn $800 more in monthly benefits.

"The Social Security problems were bad, but the fact they listed Carol as single was the worst possible thing they could have done to me," Goldberg says.

The State of Florida revised Goldwasser's death certificate in October to recognize the couple's marriage, but Goldberg still has not received any Federal benefits.

"The Social Security Administration knows this is a problem, but there is little they can do, because they're bound to the letter of the law," says Karen Loewy, a senior attorney at Lambda Legal, a national organization that focuses on legal issues affecting the LGBT community.

In the case of Murphy and Baker, the couple got married in Massachusetts in 2010. Baker died in 2012 and since then Murphy has been unable to collect her wife's benefit of $583 a month. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Massachusetts since 2003, but it's not allowed in Texas, and the federal government is required to use the couples' state of residence to determine benefits.

"I try not to worry about money, but it's about fairness," Murphy says.

This isn't the first time state marriage laws and Social Security has been at odds. The denial of benefits to mixed-race couples was cited by the Supreme Court in 1967, when it struck down laws that barred black and whites from marrying. For gay couples, the state laws that block federal benefits amount to similar discrimination, advocates say.

Government agencies have little understanding of the scope of problems facing the LGBT demographic. The Administration on Aging, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, collects data on aging minority groups such as African Americans, Native Americans and Hispanics, but not on gay individuals. This is important because the federal government allocates money toward specific elderly programs based on these surveys.

The White House has called for legislation to allow same-sex couples to access survivor benefits in all states. It also has asked for an update of the Older Americans Act to authorize data collection on LGBT individuals. However, there has been little momentum in Congress to take up these issues.

"We're not talking about some fringe benefit here," says SAGE's Adams. "Social Security is the most important financial resource for older Americans in this country, and this is just as true for LGBT older Americans."

THE SHADOW OF AIDS

Bill C. was never supposed to reach retirement. Diagnosed with HIV in the late 1980s, he spent three years in and out of hospitals with AIDS-related infections, watching helplessly as dozens of his friends died.

The 67-year-old, who did not want his last name used for fear his HIV status would negatively impact his acting career, chose to live for what moments he thought he had left. He cashed in his retirement savings and bought a waterfront home on Long Island he knew he couldn't afford. There he thought he'd spend his days sailing, fishing and riding horses until the disease took him.

He nearly died a handful of times, spending much of 1995, 1996 and 1997 in the hospital. He had to shutter his fabric business.

And the dream house where he was supposed to live out the rest of his life? It was taken by the bank in 1995.

Like Bill C., many long-term AIDS survivors interviewed by the AP talked about poor financial decisions they made in the 1980s and 1990s -- when they believed they were facing a death sentence -- and are now paying for as they enter retirement.

The advent of life-prolonging antiretroviral "cocktail" therapies in the late 1990s helped end that fatalistic outlook, but by then, HIV-positive baby boomers had lost a decade or more of savings time. Those who had cashed in their retirement funds had to start saving again. Those who had AIDS-related infections went on workplace disability, stunting their savings potential.

"A lot of people who had jobs and financial resources before they became sick were then stuck in some relatively permanent status of financial disarray," says Sean Strub, the founder of POZ, a New York-based magazine focused on the HIV-positive community.

Jim Albaugh is one of these people.

Diagnosed with HIV in 1987, then AIDS in 1990, Albaugh was in and out of hospitals. But after coming back from the brink of death, he faces a different crisis: He can't work as much as before he was sick and has little savings.

When the 55-year-old former actor does save, "something pops up and it's gone." Recently, he says, he was "lucky" to buy a new pair of shoes. Without the public support programs that help him with his New York City rent, he would not be able to get by.

Albaugh has 10 years before he hits retirement age. But when asked about it, he says: "I don't think about retirement because I don't believe I will have one."

He can't work as much as before and has fallen behind on saving for retirement.

"I was working 40 hours a week and I ended up twice in the hospital," he says. "It took me a long time to realize I couldn't work as much as I really wanted."

Albaugh hopes to wean himself off some public aid programs in the next couple years but acknowledges that he'll need others, like Social Security disability.

"I'll work as hard as I can until I can work no more. After that," he says, his voice trailing off, "I don't know what I will do."

The fire was limited to an attached garage converted to a family room.

SPRINGFIELD - Combustibles placed too close to a wood pellet stove caused about $10,000 in damages to an attached garage of a home Sunday afternoon.

The fire was reported at about 3:25 p.m. on 183 Bolton St. in an attached garage of a one-story ranch house that had been converted to a family room, said Dennis G. Leger, aide to to Fire Commisioner Joseph Conant.

Firefighters arrived and quickly extinguished the blaze. The family will be able to remain in the house, he said.

John Simspon is an artists and art professor at UMass Amherst.

SPRINGFIELD — It started off with the Cowardly Lion and now the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and Dorothy herself have been added to the crew.

Artist John Simpson is hoping to complete "The Wizard of Oz," series before the weather makes it difficult to stand in the cold for hours working on larger-than-life paintings of recognizable characters in music and film.

Simpson, who has been painting murals on a vacant downtown building in Court Square, added the three newest characters to the series over the weekend.

"I'm really excited about these and I have been trying to do as much as I can over the weekend," he said. "Once the characters are done I will be able to focus on the background and maybe even add some words."

Simpson said he's not sure what will go next, perhaps the Wizard, the yellow brick road, or maybe even the Wicked Witch of the West.

"I hope people will stop by downtown and take a look as the work progresses," he said.

 

In her first two years in the U.S. Senate, Elizabeth Warren has drawn praise and ire among her Capitol Hill colleagues as well as the ardent support of liberal loyalists.

BOSTON — In her first two years in the U.S. Senate, Elizabeth Warren has drawn praise and ire among her Capitol Hill colleagues as well as the ardent support of liberal loyalists.

The Massachusetts Democrat has locked horns with Republicans and President Barack Obama, won a Senate leadership post and made her first official overseas trip — all while brushing aside calls to run for president in 2016.

The spotlight on Warren is particularly welcome in Massachusetts, which had grown accustomed to wielding outsized political clout in the U.S. Senate with Edward Kennedy, who died in 2009, and John Kerry, who stepped down last year to become secretary of state.

Former Massachusetts Democratic Party chairman Philip Johnston said what distinguishes Warren is her "absolute fearlessness" in confronting those she believes are unfairly using their economic leverage.

"CEOs of banks usually intimidate members of the Senate because they speak a different language," he said. "Elizabeth speaks that language ... and she calls them out."

While Warren's name wasn't on the ballot this year, she was a near-constant presence in the midterm elections, crisscrossing the country to stump for Democratic Senate incumbents and hopefuls. Helping sustain that effort was Warren's fundraising prowess.

Warren, who raised more than $41 million during the 2012 campaign in which she unseated Republican Scott Brown, has collected $2.6 million in campaign contributions since January 2013, even though she doesn't face re-election for four more years. Warren raised nearly $2 million for her PAC for a Level Playing Field, contributing to dozens of Democratic candidates.

The campaign activity is one reason Warren's political stock has skyrocketed among Democrats. This month, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid named her to serve as strategic policy adviser to the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee.

Among Republicans, the former Harvard Law professor is a popular foil.

One of Warren's most public clashes came in June when Republican senators blocked legislation sponsored by Warren aimed at letting people refinance their student loans at lower rates. Republicans complained it was a political ploy that wouldn't have lowered education costs or reduced borrowing.

The friction goes back to at least 2011, when Republicans signaled their opposition to her being appointed the first director of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which she helped create. Later that year she announced her decision to run for the Senate.

While much of her focus has been on Republicans and Wall Street, Warren isn't shy about criticizing Obama.

After the Democrats' midterm drubbing, Warren cautioned both Obama and fellow lawmakers from reacting in a way that could hurt struggling families.

"The solution to this isn't a basket of quickly passed laws designed to prove Congress can do something — anything," Warren wrote in the Washington Post. "The solution isn't for the president to cut deals — any deals — just to show he can do business."

More recently, Warren has called on Obama to fill vacancies at the Federal Reserve with "tough overseers" instead of "Wall Street insiders," warning that "evidence is mounting that the Fed is too cozy with the big banks to provide the kind of tough oversight that's needed."

She also faulted Obama for nominating Antonio Weiss, the head of investment banking for a financial advisory and asset management firm, for a position at the Treasury Department. Warren said Weiss isn't qualified to oversee consumer protection and domestic regulatory functions at the Treasury.

Her opposition to Weiss has drawn criticism.

"Ms. Warren's other main objection is simply that Mr. Weiss has worked on Wall Street, which she seems to believe disqualifies him based on symbolism alone," wrote Andrew Ross Sorkin, a New York Times columnist and author of "Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System — and Themselves."

One weak spot in Warren's resume is foreign policy experience. She set about addressing with her first overseas trip as senator to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan, meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

That trip, along with virtually any other public move Warren makes, fuels speculation that she might consider a presidential run — despite her public denials.

The group Ready for Warren has launched a three-month campaign to collect 100,000 letters, postcards and signatures urging Warren to reconsider.

"It's our role to show her that there's a grassroots moment out there urging her to step in," said Kate Albright-Hanna, the group's deputy campaign manager.

The Cathedral Action Committee would ask the Diocese to sell the property to them so they could reopen a Catholic school.

SPRINGFIELD - Students, parents, the principal and neighbors gathered outside the tornado-ravaged Cathedral High School Sunday in what they promise will be a weekly vigil to save the school.

Organizers of the Cathedral Action Committee and the East Forest Park Civic Association are using the vigils as one way to remind Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski that many want to see the high school on Surrey Road rebuilt, including those who are not Catholic.

"Cathedral is part of Springfield's past and we were hoping it would be part of Springfield's future," said Elizabeth Samay, a member of the Civic Association who began the vigils.

Last week the event was put together at the last minute with most of the notices being shared on Facebook. This vigil was better organized and attracted about 85 people who gathered to say the Rosary and talk a little about sharing lawn signs, bumper stickers and organizing Save Cathedral Day on Dec. 16.

Some of those attending were students, others were alumni and many were neighbors who walked over. John Miller, principal of Cathedral, said he also lives in the East Forest Park neighborhood and walked over with his dog.

"I can say I live here and have worked at Cathedral for 25 years and I love my job," he said.

Samay said she moved into East Forest Park, where her husband grew up, after her children were grown. She said she found Cathedral High School the neighborhood anchor and said residents are concerned about what will happen to the area if it does not return.

"If not Cathedral then what and we are not hearing the what," she said.

The Surrey Road School, originally built for 3,000 students, had about 400 teenagers when the June 1, 2011 tornado seriously damaged the building.

Since then the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield has rented to vacant Memorial School in Wilbraham and enrollment has declined to 217 this year.

After fighting for and finally securing a $50 million settlement with the Springfield Diocese's insurance company and receiving about $38 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funding, Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell, now retired, said the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield would rebuild the school.

But this month Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, who took over for McDonnell, said that rebuilding on Surrey Road is not a certainty and he would review a variety of issues before deciding if the plan should go forward.

One of the struggles is raising money for the Cathedral Endowment Fund for Tuition Assistance. Raising money has been difficult without people knowing the fate of the school, but Diocesan officials said reaching a $10 million goal for tuition assistance is the only way to ensure the school would attract enough students to be self-sustaining.

Currently the Cathedral Action Committee has 1,800 pledges who have agreed to give about $4.9 million. If 2,000 people pledge to donate any amount, that will trigger a matching $500,000 gift from Michele Gaudette D'Amour, a 1969 graduate of Cathedral and her husband, Donald D'Amour, chairman and chief executive officer of Big Y. The two have also pledged an additional $500,000.

The diocese disputes the $5 million figure. Earlier this month, a spokesman said the diocese has $1.7 million in funds raised for the tuition assistance endowment fund, and has another $500,000 corporate gift from MassMutual for scholarships for five years.

City Councilor and Cathedral Supporter Timothy Rooke said the difference in the amounts is the Diocese is only counting actual checks received and not pledges.

"I guarantee that we will hit the 2,000 individual pledges and we will hit $10M in tuition endowment," Rooke said.

The group is also starting to discuss contingency plans if the Diocese decides against rebuilding the school. If that does happen, Rooke said he would ask the diocese to sell the property to the committee so it can rebuild and reopen the school themselves.

One Springfield area contractor said he could rebuild the school at a cost of about $20 million. There is also a national organization called Cristo Rey which runs independent Catholic schools specifically for low-income students in urban districts that may be interested in working in Springfield, Rooke said.

The number from the scam is 508-444-0235.

CHICOPEE - Police are reporting a phone scam that took place on Sunday.

A resident said someone phoned saying they were from the Polish National Credit Union and left a message saying the resident's bank card needed to activated again. Police have researched the number and determined the call was a scam.

Residents should never give any information to callers they do not know at any time. If a bank employee calls they should confirm the request for information is legitimate before sharing any details.

The phone number from the scam was 508-444-0235, police said.

The recommendations by a legislative advisory commission would boost the pay of legislators, despite eliminating per diem payments.

BOSTON – Massachusetts' top lawmakers remained non-committal on Monday on recommendations that would boost pay for legislators and constitutional officers, as an anti-tax activist threatened to sue the state if changes to legislative pay pass.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo, a Winthrop Democrat, outgoing Senate President Therese Murray, a Plymouth Democrat, and incoming Senate President Stanley Rosenberg, an Amherst Democrat, all declined to take positions on a report by a legislative advisory commission that would increase the pay for their jobs.

The House speaker and Senate president currently earn $102,279. An advisory commission created to review public compensation released a report Monday that recommended increasing their salaries to $175,000. The report also proposed increasing the salaries of the governor and other elected officials.

Committee Chairman Ira Jackson, dean of the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston, said the House speaker and Senate president lead "a co-equal branch of government," but get paid less than the leaders of the executive and judiciary branches. The proposal is politically controversial, coming at a time when the state is making budget cuts.

Murray, who did not run for reelection, thanked the commission for "thoughtful and comprehensive recommendations which we are currently reviewing to determine how they could be practically implemented and what the next steps may be."

Murray said in a statement, "I believe that the governor, legislative leadership and constitutional officers should receive the compensation which would be commensurate with the full time positions they hold." But she stopped short of endorsing the commission's specific recommendations.

Rosenberg, an Amherst Democrat, is expected to replace Murray as Senate president in January. Rosenberg too declined to give an opinion. "After engaging in a transparent and thorough process the Commission has issued a series of bold recommendations, including the elimination of per-diems and the institution of a first-in-the-nation ban on outside income for legislative leaders and constitutional officers," Rosenberg said in a statement. "I look forward to reviewing the Commission's report, as well as the data used to support their recommendations."

DeLeo, in a statement, thanked the commission and said only that the House clerk received the report, and it will now be reviewed.

For the new salaries to go into effect next year, they must be approved this year. However, currently, the legislature is meeting only in informal sessions, which means it can only approve bills that face no opposition. Passing a salary increase would likely require a return to formal sessions before January. If lawmakers wait until January, the raises cannot take effect for two years, due to conflict of interest laws that prevent lawmakers from voting on something in which they have a financial interest. The bill could also face a veto from incoming Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, who said he opposes the raises. Outgoing Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick supports the raises, as long as the legislature first fills a budget gap.

Meanwhile, Barbara Anderson, executive director of Citizens for Limited Taxation, threatened to take the state government to court if the legislature implements the committee's recommendations to change the pay of rank-and-file legislators.

A 1998 constitutional amendment establishes that legislative salaries are set every two years to increase or decrease at the same rate as the state's median household income, as determined by the governor.

Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation and a member of the compensation advisory committee, said the problem with that method is median income information is only available a year later. So the governor has to estimate that information. "We put a specific proposal in place that ties the change to currently available data," Widmer said.

The commission's proposal would use data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis to measure the quarterly change in salaries and wages in Massachusetts for the most recent eight quarters. That data has a time lag of three months, not a year, and there would be no estimating involved. The data measures aggregate, not median, income.

State legislators get a base salary of around $60,000, with additional payment for those in leadership positions. Using the method proposed by the report, lawmakers' base pay would have been higher each of the last three legislative sessions – by $766 in 2009-2010, $1,452 in 2011-2012 and $6,378 in 2013-2014.

Anderson, however, said the legislature cannot change the way it calculates legislative base pay. "It's as obviously simple as the constitutional amendment language, which is as simple as language gets," Anderson said.

She said legislative pay cannot be calculated based on anything but median household income, and Citizens for Limited Taxation will sue the state if the legislature does anything else. "They can't play with it, they can't amend it," Anderson said. "It's the Constitution."

The report also suggests eliminating the per diem payments, payments made to lawmakers based on how many days they drive to the Statehouse. The per diem payments range from $10 a day for lawmakers from Boston and surrounding areas to $100 a day for lawmakers from Nantucket. Not every lawmaker requests reimbursements.

In exchange, the report recommends increasing a stipend for office expenses from the current $7,200 to $10,000 for those within 50 miles of Boston and $15,000 for lawmakers living more than 50 miles from Boston. While lawmakers from Western Massachusetts will disproportionately feel the cut to their per diem payments, which range between $60 and $90 depending on their district, the $7,800 boost will be more than enough to cover the lost payments. In fact, almost all lawmakers will see their compensation rise under the new system.

With one month left to 2014 and little activity at the Statehouse, only one lawmaker requested more than $7,800 in per diem payments this year – State Sen. Benjamin Downing, a Pittsfield Democrat, who requested $8,730.

State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, a Lenox Democrat, has received $7,020. Rosenberg received $6,420. Another five legislators got more than $5,000 in per diem payments this year: Gailanne Cariddi, a North Adams Democrat; Michael Finn, a West Springfield Democrat; Tricia Farley-Bouvier, a Pittsfield Democrat; Robert Koczera, a New Bedford Democrat; and Sarah Peake, a Provincetown Democrat.

The report estimates that overall, lawmakers will get an additional $505,000 by eliminating per diem payments while increasing office expenses.

Finn said he has no problem with the state eliminating per diem payments in favor of a standardized system. "It would make it a lot easier if they did do away with per diems," Finn said.

Finn said he supports raising lawmakers' pay. "You do the job because you love it. It's not like you're getting rich doing this position," Finn said. "I don't think people realize how expensive it is to do the job. I'm out quite a bit, back and forth to Boston, the wear and tear on the car."

"It's a difficult job to do from the western part of the state based on the current compensation, especially with a family," Finn said. Finn manages real estate in addition to working as a legislator. 

Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance executive director Paul Craney urged the legislature not to implement the recommendations. "Simply put, passing the commission's proposals would send the wrong message at the wrong time," Craney said in a statement. "With tens of millions of dollars in cuts to local aid and other programs being proposed to close a gaping hole in the state's budget, enormous pay increases for politicians are a completely inappropriate use of taxpayer money." Craney said he supports eliminating per diem payments but does not support the raises.

Peter Matthews, 32, of Pittsfield, was expected to be arraigned Tuesday in Central Berkshire District Court on charges of heroin possession, operating under the influence of drugs and failure to stay within marked lanes.

PITTSFIELD — A motorist who was allegedly high on heroin caused a three-car crash that knocked out power to about 160 utility customers in Berkshire County's largest city Monday morning, according to police and press reports.

Pittsfield resident Peter Matthews, 32, was expected to be arraigned Tuesday in Central Berkshire District Court on charges of heroin possession, operating under the influence of drugs and failure to stay within marked lanes, The Berkshire Eagle reported.

Matthews was southbound on South Street (Route 7) when he crossed into the northbound lane and struck a utility pole just before 9 a.m. Monday, authorities said. The broken pole fell onto a passing minivan, shrouding the vehicle in a tangle of live electrical wires, and also caused a third vehicle to crash, according to reports.

There were no serious injuries in the crash, which shut down South Street near Industrial Drive for several hours as authorities cleared the crash scene and WMECo crews fixed the damage. The road reopened to traffic just before 4 p.m., according to Pittsfield police, who posted updates on the closure on the department's Facebook page.

MAP showing approximate location of Pittsfield crash site:

Conor Berry | cberry@repub.com 

At a recent conference in Florida, a grateful Governor-elect Charlie Baker said the Republican Governors Association made a "huge difference" in his recent election, a change in rhetoric from the campaign when he critiqued the tone of an RGA-funded advertisement.

By ANDY METAGER

BOSTON — At a recent conference in Florida, a grateful Governor-elect Charlie Baker said the Republican Governors Association made a "huge difference" in his recent election, a change in rhetoric from the campaign when he critiqued the tone of an RGA-funded advertisement.

"First of all I want to just thank the RGA for your support in both elections. It made a huge difference in our campaign and our ability to compete in a state where . . . 11 percent of the electorate are Republicans," Baker said from the Boca Raton stage he shared with newly elected Republican governors from Arkansas, Texas, Maryland and Arizona.

During the campaign, Baker's Democratic opponent, Attorney General Martha Coakley, protested an ad funded by the RGA that featured images of empty playground equipment and knocked Coakley on child welfare, saying she had "failed our most vulnerable citizens."

"I don't like the tone of the ad. It reminds me of the tone of a lot of the ads that have been run against me," Baker said at the time. He also said he thought the issue raised in the ad was valid and declined on several occasions to call for the RGA-funded Commonwealth Future super PAC to stop running the ad.

Commonwealth Future spent $11.8 million during the campaign boosting Baker and criticizing Coakley, according to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance. According to OCPF, the Democratic Governors Association donated $1.4 million to a super PAC that backed Coakley. After the election, Coakley said an influx of outside money had given Baker an advantage.

At the panel discussion during the RGA's meeting in Florida, other governors-elect thanked the organization, which RGA Executive Director Phil Cox called "the most impactful successful political committee in the country." Cox noted that Illinois, Maryland, Arkansas and Massachusetts had flipped to Republican-led chief executives, and said two thirds of the country will be under Republican leadership.

"The RGA had my back. The RGA was able to come in at a critical moment when the Democratic Governors Association spent a million dollars in attack ads against me right after the primary," said Asa Hutchinson, the incoming governor in Arkansas. "The RGA was there with a response ad that was just perfect, covered me, and it allowed me to continue with what I wanted to do for Arkansas. And so we were able to run a positive, agenda-oriented campaign - made all of the difference in the world."

The Nov. 20 panel discussion is available on C-SPAN.org.

Baker also credited endorsements he received from Democrats, and even looked ahead to a re-election campaign, saying, "I'll look forward to running on our record when 2018 rolls around."

"If you're a Democrat and you come out and endorse a Republican in a statewide race you are absolutely taking a chance with your political future and your political life. And a lot of them did that anyway because they bought into what we're selling," Baker told the audience, saying that people were surprised when he selected Chelsea City Manager Jay Ash, a Democrat, for his cabinet.

"Now a lot of people were shocked and amazed that the newly elected Republican governor appointed a Democrat from Chelsea - where obviously I didn't do that well on election day - to be our secretary of economic affairs and community development - but that is exactly the kind of person we were looking for," Baker said.

Baker is part of the class of Republicans elected with the help of RGA Chairman Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey. "You gotta take chances," said Christie, who said the RGA's priority was also protecting its 19 incumbents.

Baker came to regret a $10,000 donation he made to the New Jersey Republican Party. That donation, which was followed by the New Jersey pension fund investing with a company where Baker was an executive in residence, led to pay-to-play suspicions from some. New Jersey's Department of the Treasury is reviewing whether General Catalyst complied with the necessary regulations to do business with the state pension, according to a New Jersey Treasury spokesman.

Christie highlighted Baker's close victory and said the RGA had unsuccessfully bid for victories in Colorado, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

In New England, Democrats Dannel Malloy, of Connecticut, and Maggie Hassan, of New Hampshire, won re-election to governorships, as did Republican Paul LePage, of Maine.

Rhode Island Democrat Gina Raimondo won a first term in the governor's office. In Vermont, the outcome is still undecided. Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin, the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, reportedly received more votes than his Republican challenger Scott Milne, but failed to win an outright majority leaving the decision to the Legislature in January.

Accused of forcing his way into a neighbor's apartment and strangling the neighbor's Shih Tzu dog, Roger Pelletier told police he "tried breaking (the dog's) neck" because it had been barking for months and his calls to police and the apartment management did not resolve the problem.

A digest of news stories from around New England and beyond.

Do you have news or a news tip to submit to MassLive.com for consideration? Send an email to online@repub.com.

Neal said a rebuilt Cathedral High School would attract students.

This story follows: Springfield Union Station demolition begins, completion seen in fall of 2016

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Rep. Richard Neal wants to add a new Cathedral High School to a list of completed, or soon-to-be-completed, construction projects in Springfield.

"I feel as confident as ever," Neal, D-Springfield said Monday when asked about Cathedral at a news conference announcing that  full-scale demolition work has begun at Springfield's Union Station.

Neal helped secure $38 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency money to rebuild Cathedral in the wake of the June 2011 tornado. The diocese has insurance money as well.

But the diocese is not committed itself to rebuilding or to rebuilding on the scale of the former school. In his Nov. 9 statement, newly appointed Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski said  any decision on Cathedral's future would be made only after options and opinions have been reviewed.

Some in the diocese have cited falling enrollment at Cathedral and at Catholic high schools around the country.

But Neal, who worked hard to get that federal money, said he hasn't heard anyone step forward with an argument against rebuilding Cathedral.

"Those people should come forward,' Neal said. "I look forward to having a vigorous debate. The bishop as assured me that he has an open mind on this issue."

The federal money can only be used to rebuild the high school on that Surrey Road  site, according to Neal's office.

Neal, who sent his children to Cathedral,  said a rebuilt Cathedral High School would serve as a magnet for students from around the region and enrollment wouldn't be a problem.

"Cathedral is important for the East Forest Park neighborhood, for the educational system in the region and for economic development," he said.

Closing the school would leave Springfield as the only Massachusetts city of any size without a parochial high school, he said. Worcester, Pittsfield and Westfield all have them. Chicopee and Holyoke share one.

Neal referenced other projects, like the rebuilding of State Street, that are reinvigorating the city.

"I got Monarch Place done in two and a half years," Neal said."I don't know why Cathedral high School should be that difficult."

According to the Town Charter, the Select Board is given the power to "supervise" the activities of the officials it appoints, including the Town Manager - differing opinions on what that means have led to the current debate.

LONGMEADOW - The video of the Nov. 17 meeting of the Select Board, which featured the continuation of a long-running dispute with Town Manager Stephen Crane over the rightful division of power in their working relationship, has been posted online by Longmeadow Community Television and embedded below.

Stephen Crane 

This disagreement was first aired on June 4, when the board began its efforts to evaluate Crane's performance in the job.

Some board members would like greater input into Crane's activities, while others call for more communication between the two halves of the town's executive branch of government.

According to the town's charter, the Select Board is given the power to "supervise" the activities of the officials it appoints, including the Town Manager. The question is what does that word, in this specific case, mean.

Select Board member Alex Grant said that his communications with Crane have been sparse and possibly misleading.

"Fundamentally, I just don't trust the information I get in a lot of instances," said Grant. "Whatever the Town Manager deems that we are required to know, that's what he's going to give me - and that's a pretty small amount of information. It's things like that - I feel sometimes like the information is spun. My experience in working life is when I go to someone that I'm working for, I have the duty to present it neutrally, and not try to sell something - to give the reasons why the person might not want to follow my suggestion. That duty and candor is really important, and I just don't see that."

Crane responded by defending his conduct, reiterating his suggestion of hiring an independent arbitrator to help settle the dispute.

"I have tried, since my (first) review, to move in the board's direction in terms of communication and interaction. I'm disappointed to learn that that has not been observed by the board," said Crane. "We do have a fundamental disagreement about what are the roles and responsibilities of the Town Manager versus the Select Board, and what is the nature of the supervisory relationship - Richard and I have gone around the maypole many a time on the subject. I therefore believe that many of the differences of opinion, the faults if you will... nearly of all of it stems from this disagreement."

Board member Marie Angelides called on her fellow board members to reconsider their conduct, as well as the ongoing dispute with Crane.

"I really don't care about the personalities of people getting along. And one thing about this board is - everyone is constantly fighting. You saw the votes, the discussions, deliberations - it's always 3-2, 3-2. It's rarely that we all vote together on 5-0, because you have five very strong personalities and viewpoints on looking at the elephant, and how to describe the elephant. What's really important to Alex is not really important to me, as I'm looking at the other side of the elephant, and I'm really excited about that part, " said Angelides.

"I'm interested in the town being run well. So I try to step back from the emotions, and I don't think this (disagreement) has to do with this town manager. I think it has to do with the culture, because I was here under Robin Crosbie, and the anger, and the emotions, and the level, and the insecurity, and the distrust - it was all there. And so I think we need to step back and look at the bigger picture. The bigger picture is what's been happening in the last year... when the Town Manager came in, there was a lot of problems in this town ... we're starting to shift through them, we're starting to make progress, and I think we need to sit down and make measurable goals... if we just say (that) communication in general (is an issue), everyone's going to pick out the one thing that bothered them, that didn't go right, rather than saying what went right."

Board chair Richard Foster tried to chart a path forward late in the discussion.

"I think what it scales down to in any performance evaluation is - what do we consider critical and what do we consider non-critical. I don't know if the board, we've ever been able to wrestle this item out ourselves," said Foster. "There's been some good suggestions when we talk about narrowing down. I think each member here has a different idea of what adequate communication is... there are some times that Steven has absolutely overstepped his bounds and likely been overly-sarcastic, and there are some times that we've been overly-sarcastic back to Steven - the record will show that. There's no doubt about that. This has been a two-way street and we can't discount that. I would hope that everyone in this room is adult, and that we can work through this."

The conversation came to an end with no seeming resolution, though, as the hour drew late.

The topic is broached at the 2:41:42 mark in the video, as board chair Richard Foster begins the conversation by giving an overview of the dispute to date.

The board is scheduled to meet again Thursday at 7 p.m.

Gruber, an architect of the national Affordable Care Act, said the lack of transparency in the national health care reform law "is a huge political advantage."

The Republican caucus in the state Senate is calling for the Massachusetts Health Connector to remove MIT professor Jonathan Gruber from its board.

Gruber, an architect of the national Affordable Care Act under President Barack Obama and of the Massachusetts health care reform under Gov. Mitt Romney, has come under fire for comments he made saying that the lack of transparency in the national health care reform law "is a huge political advantage" and attributing its passage to "the stupidity of the American voter."

Gruber later apologized for his choice of words.

Republican state Sens. Bruce Tarr of Gloucester, Robert Hedlund of Weymouth, Richard Ross of Wrentham, and Donald Humason of Westfield wrote to Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat, asking him to remove Gruber from the board and sever any relationship between Gruber and the state.

"Professor Gruber's comments are not only in direct opposition to those of us who seek to expand public trust in government they call into question his ability to act impartially and in a manner that upholds the integrity of the Health Connector Board," the senators wrote. "Professor Gruber's advocacy for an ideology founded in deceit should have no place in our government."

They continued, "Professor Gruber's comments were reprehensible, repugnant and demonstrate a level of disdain for the American public that has no place in government and should not have any place on the Health Connector Board." 

Asked last month if Gruber will remain on the board, the board's chairman, Secretary of Administration and Finance Glen Shor, said when Gruber's term expires, "That will be a decision for somebody else at that time." Shor said the Health Connector's sole focus is preparing its new website for open enrollment, which is currently ongoing.

Connector spokesman Kim Haberlin, asked about Gruber on Nov. 17, said similarly that the Connector's focus continues to be getting the state health exchange website up and running well. "(Gruber's) apology was the appropriate course of action to take, and he's done that," Haberlin said.

Earlier sales, a shift to online shopping and stagnant wages meant fewer Americans showed up to stores over the Thanksgiving weekend, the National Retail Federation said.

By MATTHEW CRAFT

NEW YORK — Mounting signs of weakness in the global economy and a poor start to the holiday shopping season knocked the stock market lower on Monday.

Earlier sales, a shift to online shopping and stagnant wages meant fewer Americans showed up to stores over the Thanksgiving weekend, the National Retail Federation said Sunday. The trade group estimated that total spending for the four days totaled $50.9 billion, down 11 percent from last year.

Major retailers slumped in response. Macy's lost $1.72, or 3 percent, to $63.19 and Target fell $1.25, or 2 percent, to $72.75. Best Buy lost $2.15, or 6 percent, to $37.26.

New reports of slowing manufacturing in China as well as in the three largest economies that use the European currency - Germany, France and Italy - also gave investors little reason to cheer.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 14.12 points, or 0.7 percent, to close at 2,053.44. The losses were widespread: General Electric and other industrial companies led eight of the ten sectors in the index down.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 51.44 points, or 0.3 percent, to 17,776.80, while the Nasdaq composite fell 64.28 points, or 1.3 percent, to 4,727.35.

It was a weak start to what has been the stock market's best month on average. Since 1950, the S&P 500 has ended December with a typical gain of 1.7 percent, according to the "Stock Trader's Almanac." But after a strong 11 percent run this year, the market looks relatively expensive. The S&P 500 index trades at 17.6 times its profits over the past 12 months, well above the long-term average.

Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital, said more reports of slow economic growth around the world and falling oil prices could drive the market down in the coming weeks. But he thinks any setback will likely prove temporary. "Maybe the weakness in the global economy will take some of the starch out of our economy," he said. "It probably will, just not so much that it really hurts corporate earnings."

A survey by HSBC showed Chinese manufacturing activity lost steam in November, adding to signs of an economic slowdown. HSBC said its purchasing managers' index edged down to 50 from 50.4 the previous month. On the index's 100-point scale, numbers below 50 indicate contraction. China's economic growth slowed to a five-year low of 7.3 percent in the latest quarter.

"The November PMIs confirm that growth in China's industry remains under downward pressure," Louis Kuijs of Royal Bank of Scotland wrote in a report to investors.

In Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index plunged 2.6 percent, while the Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.1 percent. Japan's benchmark stock index Nikkei 225 added 0.8 percent.

Major stock markets in Europe closed with slight losses. Germany's DAX sank 0.2 percent, and France's CAC 40 dropped 0.3 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 slid 1 percent. Russia's RTS index lost 1.6 percent.

Back in the U.S., DreamWorks Animation slumped after its latest movie, "Penguins of Madagascar," had a weaker box-office opening over the Thanksgiving weekend than analysts had expected. The sequel to its popular "Madagascar" movie took second place to the newest installment of "The Hunger Games" series. DreamWorks' stock plunged $1.33, or 6 percent, to $22.51.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.23 percent from 2.16 percent late Friday. High demand for U.S. government bonds has kept yields low.

Precious metals surged. Gold jumped $42.60 to settle at $1,218.10 an ounce, while silver surged $1.14 to $16.69 an ounce. Copper rose five cents to $2.90 a pound.

Oil posted its biggest percentage gain in more than two years, stemming a rout that had knocked about $40 off the price of a barrel of crude since June. Analysts still expect oil prices to remain weak given OPEC's decision last week to maintain its current production targets. That, combined with rising production in the U.S., has created an oversupplied oil market. Benchmark U.S. crude jumped $2.85, or 4 percent, to close at an even $69 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

In other trading on the NYMEX:

1. Wholesale gasoline rose 5 cents to $1.88 a gallon
2. Heating oil rose 5 cents to $2.21 a gallon.
3. Natural gas fell 8 cents to $4.01 per 1,000 cubic feet

AP writer Joe McDonald contributed from Beijing.

A woman and two children were taken to area hospitals for treatment after they were hit by a car while crossing State Street near the Springfield Public Library about 5:30 p.m. Monday.

SPRINGFIELD — Three pedestrians were struck by a motorist as they crossed State Street near the Springfield Public Library just before 5:30 p.m. Monday.

All three victims were taken to "area hospitals" for treatment," Springfield Police Sgt. Lawrence Murphy said. Updates on their conditions were unavailable.

Witness reports indicated the motorist may have fled the scene after hitting a woman and two children, who were not in a crosswalk as they attempted to cross State Street between Chestnut and Elliot streets. Murphy rejected that claim, however, noting that the car involved in the incident "stayed at the scene."

A woman was seen crying as she stood near a vehicle with a damaged front windshield at the scene. Police and ambulance personnel were nearby.

A witness told MassLive / The Republican that one of the victims was a little girl, but police were unable to immediately verify that information.

A barber named Justice said he was cutting hair at a nearby barbershop when he heard about the accident and left to check on his wife and kids. "My heart sank," he said, adding that the description of the victims matched that of his own family.

His loved-ones were OK, he said.

"I was like 'Thank you, Jesus,' when I got that call," Justice said.

City Councilors said they would like to save some of the money to bring relief to taxpayers next year.

CHICOPEE - The city received a record amount of free cash this year, leaving the community with extra funds to purchase equipment, make repairs and give taxpayers a break next year.

The state Department of Revenue certified the city's free cash at a record $7.9 million for this year. Free cash is revenues from the previous fiscal year and never spent. It can be from an unexpected increase in tax growth, budget savings and other sources.

"I look forward to working with the City Council and department heads to determine an appropriate allocation of these funds which address our current budgetary needs, capital needs and consideration of the financial pressure on our taxpayers," Mayor Richard J. Kos said.

The city on average receives free cash balances ranging from $3 to $5 million, said Auditor Sharyn Riley. The balances have been larger recently with $5.9 million returned in December 2011 and $6.1 million returned in December 2012.

This year the large balance comes in part from a budgeting error that appropriated health insurance premiums for employees in the water and waste water departments twice, once in the regular budget and once from the separate budget funded by water and sewer fees, Kos said.

That error, which resulted in a return of about $1.9 million in free cash, has been corrected, he said.

"In addition, given the city's strong credit ranking, the city did receive a 'premium on the sale of bonds' in the amount of $1,458,623. This is a one-time addition to our free cash receipts," Kos said in writing.

Faced with a long list of capital improvement needs, this year Kos recommended the City Council raise taxes an additional $3 million above the minimum needed so equipment such as a fire truck and sanitation truck could be purchased and several leaking school roofs could be repaired or replaced. The recommendation was made before it was known how much the city would receive in free cash.

During discussions with the City Council, he explained that there are more than $9 million in crucial capital improvement needs identified by different city department heads and he was recommending taxes be raised to fund the ones identified as the highest priority.

City Councilor President George R. Moreau said the 13 members have been careful about spending throughout the year, which helped save money.

He said he was thrilled to receive that amount of money back, especially since the city already has a stabilization account of more than $12 million.

"I don't recall that large of a sum of money being returned in free cash," he said. "It is a good practice to remember you can't overspend."

Moreau said he wants the City Council and the mayor to work together to develop a priority list of capital improvements that should be made, including replacing equipment that is breaking down, making building repairs and possibly paving roads.

But he said he would also want to set aside some money to prevent a tax increase next year.

"I think we should return some to the taxpayers. They paid for it and they should get something back," City Councilor James K. Tillotson said.

Along with correcting the error and receiving a good bond rating, Tillotson said the city also saw an increase in excise tax revenue and other things.

"We can easily spend it all. We have plenty of projects on the drawing board," he said. "I want to make sure we use it wisely and take into consideration maybe the taxpayers need a little break."

Some of the projects include a proposal to renovate the City Hall auditorium and turn it into a meeting room for all boards and committees, purchasing and tearing down a six-family home next to city hall so the property can be used for parking and finding a use for the former city library that has been vacant for more than 10 years.