One thing that stuck out in a letter I received recently from a Republican in Sprague complaining about Democrat First Selectman Cathy Osten, who is also a state senator, was mention of a proposed 6 percent increase in her town pay.

Osten did not put the pay increase in her own town budget proposal, but it was added in her presence at a meeting of the Board of Finance. The whole budget is headed toward a public hearing later this month and then a referendum.

It's not a lot of money. Indeed, Osten's current salary for the full-time job of first selectman is a modest $43,901, with an additional travel stipend.

She also receives a state pension of $54,174 for her years of service as a Connecticut corrections officer and $28,000, plus expenses, for her part-time job as state senator.

Still, the timing of the 6 percent town pay increase raises some interesting questions about public pay, state pensions and legislator pay in this time of fiscal crisis.

After all, many state lawmakers want unions representing state workers to give wage and pension concessions. Republicans even suggested an example-setting cut in lawmaker pay, which is a bad idea, if you think, as I do, the job should be full time to attract quality candidates.

And of course outside the bubble of union-driven public pay and pension packages, here in the real world, a 6 percent pay raise is well beyond the average, which is more like 3 percent in the private sector.

An elected official taking a 6 percent pay raise these days in Connecticut, if nothing else, sends a bad message.

When I tracked Osten down last week she insisted that I mention that her proposed budget called for zero increase in spending.

She noted that her own budget did not include a raise for her position and that it was added by the Board of Finance. She didn't answer specific questions about whether she wants the raise to stay in the budget.

She said to check with Board of Finance members.

Then, after we ended our call, in less time than it would have taken to finish a cigarette, back in my old smoking days, my phone rang. It was Claude Pellegrino, chairman of the Sprague Board of Finance, who said he heard I was asking about the Sprague budget.

Pellegrino said the board did indeed add the 6 percent raise for the first selectman, and he gave good reasons for doing so.

Osten has over the years, until last year, when she got a 5 percent increase, discouraged increases to her first selectman salary.

As a consequence, Pellegrino said, the town clerk, which has been getting annual increases, now makes more than the first selectman, $46,843.

The 6 percent increase for first selectmen, he said, is meant to be part of a phasing in of pay raises over several years, to make the first selectman job higher paying than the clerk job and more in line with what full-time selectmen in other towns make.

I would generally agree with this Board of Finance strategy.

And yet, in this instance, residents are generously giving Osten the freedom to pursue a time-consuming part-time job at the Capitol.

It's a good deal for town residents in one sense, because they are getting direct access to decision-making in Hartford from a lawmaker who should certainly watch out for the town's best interests.

On the other hand, it's hard to imagine — and I know she would deny it — that the Hartford job doesn't deflect some of Osten's time and attention from town business.

I bet there aren't too many other employers who would let you keep your full-time job and serve as a lawmaker in Hartford, except for influence-seeking law firms.

In this time of shrinking public budgets and layoffs, as towns, including Sprague, brace for cuts in state aid, cuts Sen. Osten may need to vote on, I would suggest punting off that 6 percent pay raise.

There will be lots of budgets down the road in which the town can make sure its clerk makes less than its first selectman.

This is the opinion of David Collins.

d.collins@theday.com