Worcester is giving City Manager Eric Batista a new three-year contract that could gradually raise his salary to more than $300,000 and will give him a $1,500 monthly stipend for his personal car.
A majority of city councilors approved the agreement Tuesday night following two hours of negotiation with Batista. Councilors made several changes to the proposed contract after residents criticized it during a council meeting in November.
Batista, who’s responsible for overseeing municipal operations in New England’s second largest city, had a budgeted salary of $283,254 for the fiscal year 2023. The new contract will raise his pay 4.5% by the end of December. His next two annual pay raises will be at most 3%, and could result in his salary increasing to as much as $314,000…