Plymouth County Commissioners’ Pay Rose by 73% since 2020

The three members of the Plymouth County Commission have overseen a 73.3% increase in their own salaries between fiscal year 2021 and fiscal year 2026, a rate of growth that significantly outpaces that of the broader county workforce. During this period, annual pay for the part-time positions rose from $22,500 to $39,000.

While the commissioners received the largest percentage increases, the largest dollar-value raises were awarded to the three officials who manage the county’s daily operations and budget process. Treasurer Thomas O’Brien saw his pay rise by $73,364, resulting in a fiscal year 2026 salary of $208,218, making him the highest-paid employee in the county. He is followed by Register of Deeds John Buckley, Jr., who earned $155,560, and County Administrator Frank Basler, who earned $122,000.

The commissioners’ $39,000 salary is tied to a role that, in the 2025 calendar year, produced 13.24 hours of published public meetings. When that salary is divided by the recorded meeting time, the rate of compensation equals approximately $2,946 per hour.

The pay increase comes as many communities across Plymouth County struggle with what some officials describe as an “aggressive” funding schedule set by the county’s retirement board. Those increases have forced towns to consider both layoffs and tax overrides, according to three town administrators who spoke with South Shore Times.

Basler stated that this calculation does not reflect the full scope of the commissioners’ work, though he noted the county does not track the specific number of hours worked by the board members. Due to Massachusetts open meeting law, commissioners are not able to meet with each other outside of public meetings.

According to Commissioner Gregory Hanley, the administrative structure of Plymouth County allows the commissioners to delegate the drafting of the annual budget to O’Brien, Buckley, and Basler, whom he described as the county’s "subject matter experts." These officials evaluate departmental requests and present a proposal to the commissioners, who then authorize the trio to present the budget to the Advisory Board on County Expenditures for final approval.

Hanley and Basler both defended the salary increases as a "restoration" of pay levels rather than an expansion of benefits. In 2009, the Advisory Board cut commissioner salaries from approximately $28,000 to $7,500.

Basler and Hanley both pointed to higher commissioners’ salaries in neighboring counties. In fiscal year 2026, commissioners for Norfolk County earned $49,737 to $52,590. Bristol County commissioners earned $40,590 in fiscal year 2025.

Hanley stated that it is "absolutely not the case" that the board is advocating for its own raises, framing the current $39,000 figure as a return to historical norms. By comparison, the average salary for all other Plymouth County employees grew by 17.6% during the same five-year period.

Efforts to reach other members of the commission for further clarification on the workload were unsuccessful. Commissioner Valanzola deferred comments to Commissioner Wright, the incoming chair, who stated she was unavailable for comment.

The three Commissioners serve four-year terms. The county’s website notes that their authority is to “represent their county, and to have care of its property and the management of its business and affairs in cases where otherwise not expressly provided.”

Commissioners Maintain a Diverse Employment Portfolio

This governance model, described by Hanley, also allows the commissioners to maintain significant outside professional commitments.

Hanley, who has served as a commissioner since 2012, works as a salesperson in the plumbing supply industry. He has also held full-time town administrator positions during his tenure as a Plymouth County commissioner, including Holbrook, a position from which NBC10 reports he was fired, and Dracut.

Valanzola, who has served on the commission since 2020, works as a sales manager at ClearCaptions LLC, according to his LinkedIn profile. He has also said he works in real estate and insurance.

Valanzola previously worked as a personnel officer at the Department of Conservation and Recreation, a position from which he was fired after a state probe found that he attempted to coerce a staffer to encourage her fiancé to drop out of a political race. The report noted that Valanzola stated that “her employment opportunity within EEA would be adversely affected by her fiancé’s decision to run for political office.”

Wright has served as a commissioner since 2010. The Plymouth County website describes her as an “independent businesswoman in the energy services arena.” A LinkedIn profile in her name lists her as the owner and CEO of American Communications Network (ACN). ACN’s website does not list her as the owner or CEO, only listing the four co-founders. The South Shore Times contacted ACN, and no one we spoke with had heard of Wright.

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