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LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
DIRECTORS STOCK RETAINER PLAN AND LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN

NOTE 15 - LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN

The Board of Directors adopted the 2011 Long Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) on March 25, 2011, and the shareholders approved the Plan at the 2011 Annual Meeting. The Plan was amended on January 18, 2013. The purpose of the Plan is to assist Salisbury and the Bank in attracting, motivating, retaining and rewarding employees, officers and directors by enabling such persons to acquire or increase a proprietary interest in Salisbury in order to strengthen the mutuality of interests between such persons and our shareholders, and providing such persons with stock-based long-term performance incentives to expend their maximum efforts in the creation of shareholder value.

The terms of the Plan provide for grants of Directors Stock Retainer Awards, Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights (“SARs”), Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Awards, Deferred Stock, Dividend Equivalents, and Stock or Other Stock-Based Awards that may be settled in shares of Common Stock, cash, or other property (collectively, “Awards”).

Under the Plan, the total number of shares of Common Stock reserved and available for issuance in the ten years following adoption of the Plan in connection with Awards under the Plan is 84,000 shares of Common Stock, which represented less than 5% of Salisbury’s outstanding shares of Common Stock at the time the Plan was adopted. Shares of Common Stock with respect to Awards previously granted under the Plan that are cancelled, terminate without being exercised, expire, are forfeited or lapse will again be available for issuance pursuant to Awards. Also, shares of Common Stock subject to Awards settled in cash and shares of Common Stock that are surrendered in payment of any Award or any tax withholding requirements will again be available for issuance pursuant to Awards. No more than 30,000 shares of Common Stock may be issued pursuant to Awards in any one calendar year. In addition, the Plan limits the total number of shares of Common Stock that may be awarded as Incentive Stock Options (“ISOs”) to 42,000 and the total number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued as Directors Stock Retainer Awards to 15,000. The Directors stock retainer awards were increased from 120 shares per year to 240 shares per year effective January 25, 2013.  The 2013 shares were pro-rated at the rate of 120 shares for May 2012 – January 2013 (9 months at 10 shares per month) and at the rate of 240 shares for February 2013 – April 2013 (3 months at the rate of 20 shares per month). One director’s shares were pro-rated from when he joined the Board at the end of June 2012.

In 2014, 2013, and 2012, there were 2,160, 1,330 and 960 shares issued, respectively, and the related compensation expense was $65,000, $34,000 and $24,000, respectively.

The persons eligible to receive awards under the Plan are the officers, directors and employees of Salisbury and the Bank. The Plan is administered by the Human Resources and Compensation Committee (“Compensation Committee“) appointed by the Board. However, the Board may exercise any power or authority granted to the Compensation Committee. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Compensation Committee or the Board is authorized to select eligible persons to receive Awards, determine the type and number of Awards to be granted and the number of shares of Common Stock to which Awards will relate, specify times at which Awards will be exercisable or settleable, including performance conditions that may be required as a condition thereof, set other terms and conditions of Awards, prescribe forms of Award agreements, interpret and specify rules and regulations relating to the Plan, and make all other determinations that may be necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan.

The Compensation Committee or the Board is authorized to grant (i) stock options, including (a) ISOs which can result in potentially favorable tax treatment to the participant, and (b) non-qualified stock options, and (ii) SARs entitling the participant to receive the amount by which the fair market value of a share of Common Stock on the date of exercise exceeds the grant price of the SAR. The exercise price per share subject to an option and the grant price of a SAR are determined by the Compensation Committee or the Board, but shall not be less than the fair market value of a share of Common Stock on the date of grant.

The Compensation Committee or the Board is authorized, subject to limitations under applicable law, to grant to participants such other Awards that are payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on or related to, shares of Common Stock, as deemed to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan. These could include shares of Common Stock awarded purely as a “bonus” and not subject to any restrictions or conditions, other rights convertible or exchangeable into shares of Common Stock and Awards valued by reference to book value of the Common Stock or the performance of Salisbury or the Bank. The Compensation Committee or the Board may determine the terms and conditions of such Awards.

The Compensation Committee or the Board may amend, modify or terminate the Plan or the Compensation Committee’s authority to grant Awards without further shareholder approval, except shareholder approval must be obtained for any amendment that would (a) materially increase the number of shares of Common Stock available under the Plan; (b) expand the types of awards under the Plan; (c) materially expand the class of persons eligible to participate in the Plan; (d) materially expand the term of the Plan; or (e) be of a nature that would require shareholder approval pursuant to any law or regulation or under the rules of the NASDAQ Capital Market.

Unless earlier terminated by the Board, the Plan will terminate on the tenth anniversary of the effective date of the Plan (March 25, 2021) or, if the shareholders approve an amendment that increases the number of shares of Common Stock subject to the Plan, the tenth anniversary of such approval. The termination of the Plan on such date will not affect the validity of any Award outstanding on the date of termination, and any such Awards will continue to be governed by the applicable terms and conditions of the Plan.

The Plan provides that award agreements for any Awards that the Committee or the Board reasonably determines to constitute a “non-qualified deferred compensation Plan” subject to the requirements of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), will be construed in a manner consistent with the requirements of Section 409A and that the Committee or the Board may amend any Award agreement (and the provisions of the Plan) if and to the extent that the Committee or the Board determines that the amendment is necessary or appropriate to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. The Plan also provides that any such Award will be subject to certain additional requirements specified in the Plan if and to the extent required to comply with Section 409A of the Code.

Grants of Restricted Stock and Options

On January 3, 2014, Salisbury granted a total of 3,000 shares of restricted stock, pursuant to its 2011 Long Term Incentive Plan, to two (2) employees, including 2,000 shares to Donald E. White, Chief Financial Officer, and 1,000 shares to Richard P. Kelly, Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer. The stock will be vested three years from the grant date.

On December 5, 2014, Salisbury granted a total of 6,000 shares of restricted stock pursuant to its 2011 Long Term Incentive Plan, to three (3) employees, including 1,000 shares to Richard J. Cantele, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer, 3,000 shares to John Davies, New York Regional President and Chief Lending Officer, and 2,000 shares to Todd Rubino, Senior Vice President and Senior Commercial Loan Officer. Of these 6,000 shares, 2,250 immediately vested and the remaining 3,750 shares vest over a period of 36 months.

On February 8, 2013, Salisbury granted a total of 19,600 shares of restricted stock pursuant to its 2011 Long Term Incentive Plan, which was approved by shareholders at the 2011 Annual Meeting, to 22 employees, including 5,000 shares to one Named Executive Officer, Richard J. Cantele, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer. The fair value of the stock as of the grant date was determined to be $490,000 and the stock will be vested three years from the grant date.

The remaining weighted average vesting period on restricted shares as of December 31, 2014, over which unrecognized compensation cost is expected to be recognized, is 1.5 years.

Expense in 2014 and 2013 totaled $216,000 and $142,000. Unrecognized compensation cost relating to the awards as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 totaled $313,000 and $335,000, respectively. Forfeitures in 2014 totaled 2,000 shares, and forfeitures in 2013 totaled 500 shares.