Monday, September 19, 2005
Town Business Manager
At the end of their meeting on August 15th, the Board of Selectmen voted 2 -1 to create a position called "Business Manager" for the Town and Board of Education. This was done after the public had gone home because the Selectmen went into executive session (a non-public meeting to discuss certain privileged topics.) There was no job description or job requirements presented, no discussion with the Board of Education or Board of Finance, and the Accounting Supervisor was given an $8,000 raise and given that position. She has certainly gone beyond requirements of her position as Accounting Supervisor due to the fact that the First Selectman needed her to perform his duties since he admitted he did not understand municipal finance. Is the Town ready for a business manager or even a Town manager?
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24 comments:
what does a "business manager" do?
If the $8,000 raise was to add responsibilities to someone, then shouldn't the person whose responsibilities were relieved get a pay decrease?
How can a position be created and $8,000 spent without consent of the tax payers?
How can someone be First Selectman and say he does not understand municple finance?
Should we not have a job description first and pay scales from surrounding towns? 8,000 is a large payraise without covering the job's resposiblitiies.. Anon
Does Willington have a bidding policy? You wouldn't know it by their actions..Why didn't they take the low bid for the water supply? It is our money after all..Anon
The Bidding system should go to the lowest for anything in the town, but it dosn't work that way. Its who you are
The Town is not sure what a "business manager" does because no one has agreed on those duties. As far as getting a pay decrease for the person or position that is now responsible for less work - you are correct but good luck making it happen since that person is the same one who set the salary.
Positions within government can be created and salaries set by the Board of Selectmen and First Selectman. The Board of Finance and Town meeting ultimately has to approve the overall amount of money being spent.
Can anyone explain to me why Willington needs a "business manager"? If the "powers that be" decide this position is necessary I would stronly suggest they do some research/salary study before they spend money without taxpayers approval.
I will assume when this subject is on the agenda again it will be at a public/open Selectmen's meeting, allowing taxpayers to ask questions and hopefully receive honest answers.
Willington Taxpayer
Now that this position is being vacated, how will a new BM be hired without a job description?
...how will a new BM be hired without a job description?
Same as usual. SNAFU. Wrong procedure, pick someone they like. Then blame someone else.
Don't ever think that the position of Business Manager will ever be put on the agenda. If the issue is the least bit controversial, it is hidden and then brought up at a moments notice.
A job description is being "created" but it looks an awful lot like an accounting supervisor. I understand through the grapevine that the Board of Education insisted that the position be posted and people be interviewed. I don't know if a meeting will be held between the Boards of Education, Finance and Selectmen, and Town Staff to accept a new job description. I tend to doubt it.
You will always have bickering when you have more than one person. There has been more and more discussion of a Town Manager. I believe that having a Town Manager with all of the authority he/she should have would require a Town charter. That issue was discussed almost twenty years ago. I don't know when it would make sense but maybe the time has come to have the discussion about it and weigh the pros and cons.
Why bother with a charter? Basically, it's simply a job description.
In response to "Rich": The hiring of a Town Manager takes the responsabilities and powers of an elected public servant, who is elected in what we Americans call the democratic process of a FREE ELECTION BY THE PEOPLE, not a group of politicians, and puts the control of the Town into the hands of a non-elected person whom the people, have no control over. If a socialist form of government is what you want, then maybe Rich, you should move to Mansfield. "Bickering" between political parties is one of the prices that we pay for living in what probably is one of the last vestages of a Democratic Republic that we have in this country. It is a far better alternative to the Socialist Utopian ideal that Rich seems to have.
Wow - one innocent question from "Rich" and you think you know all about him and his motives... These assumptions you've made are exactly why people don't want to get involved in town politics.
I don't have an opinion as to whether Willington should have a Town Manager. Lots of towns have them, that's for sure. Are the people who live in those towns "in control" as we are here? I'd argue that to some extent they are as they can always fire the Town Manager, right?
Voters can't fire a hired person who works for the town. That's the point I was trying to make. Every Nonember we go to the polls to elect people who we think will best serve our needs as a town. When we no longer approve of that person, we can vote them out in the next election. The hiring of public servants with the power to control the town takes that power away from the voter / citizen / taxpayer.
I do not understand why you assume a town manager has so much control and authority -- I had always figured that our Board of Selectman would retain control and be the authority over a fully qualified and properly paid town administrator/manager.
Our First Selectman could not perfrom his job and relied on the assistance of a paid town employee to do it. her job increased (I do not fault her) , but the salary should come out of his salary. Another person doing his job which means he is doing less of his own
WHERE IS THE TOWN CHARTER? WHAT DOES IT SAY? I THINK THE SENTINALS MAKE UP POLICY AS THEY GO ALONG
The Town does not have a charter. We operate underneath State Statutes which are not always clear. Town charters are also not always clear which is why towns always have charter revision committees.
I am not sure what you mean by "make up policies" but I would be happy to discuss the rationale behind whatever decisions I make.
There is no town charter; in that case, local ordinance or state law prevail. Perhaps it is time to reconsider establishing a "charter commission". That suggestion alone should throw TERROR into the hearts of you-know-who. Imagine having to abide by an organized, legal document which, by the way, should also include an Ethics Clause. Horror of horrors to those who operate this town like a medieval fiefdom ! ! !
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