Milford council authorizes manager, recruiter to negotiate $180,000 offer for finalist

Milford City Council voted to authorize the city manager and the recruitment team to negotiate a contract that would include a $180,000 salary offer for a finalist and set a seven-business-day deadline for the candidate to respond.

The action was taken after council members discussed a salary range that had appeared in recruitment materials and debated initial offer figures. The council also agreed the contract package negotiated by staff would return to the council for formal approval.

Speaker 3, a council member, moved that the council "authorize, current city manager and recruiter to negotiate the contract with a salary offer of 180,000." Speaker 2 seconded the motion. After vocal approval from members, the motion passed.

Council members discussed several figures during deliberations, citing recruitment materials and staff suggestions. Speakers referenced a range discussed earlier in materials (figures referenced during the meeting included $160,000, $170,000 and $180,000). Speaker 1 advised there is no statutory deadline for a candidate to accept an offer: "No. There's no time limit, but normally you give them time that they can review it with counsel, their choosing." Speaker 1 recommended a customary response window of five to seven days, and the council adopted seven business days as the response window. As Speaker 1 put it during the meeting: "Upon receiving the packet that we are wanting to offer them, I would like to make a wish that we give them no longer than 7 business days to respond."

On whether the council would entertain counteroffers, Speaker 3 said the candidate would be able to return a counterproposal: "I've never seen a situation where a person not allowed to make a counter offer." Council members noted that if a counteroffer required further action, the council could consider it at a subsequent meeting and that the negotiated contract would be brought back to the council for final approval.

Council members also discussed meeting procedure for finalizing a contract. One member noted the council could discuss an offer in executive session but must observe limits on salary discussions and then vote in open session when appropriate. The council indicated it would use an upcoming scheduled meeting, if necessary, to complete any remaining steps.

The council did not identify the candidate by name in the public discussion. The authorization gives staff authority to negotiate a contract package and offer the $180,000 starting point; final hiring and any formal contract acceptance will be subject to subsequent council review and approval.