Town manager asks council to redirect his raise to food pantry and animal shelter; council approves transfers

Town Manager Michael Maniscalco asked the South Windsor Town Council to forgo his budgeted annual salary increase and instead transfer those funds to two local nonprofits, a request the council approved unanimously.

Maniscalco spoke after the council's executive session and said he had seen long food pantry lines in town and wanted to redirect the 3.5% increase. "Rather than giving me a raise tonight," he said, "make that donation instead to both of those (the food pantry and the animal shelter)."

Town Attorney Leclerc read a resolution that would leave Maniscalco's salary unchanged and transfer $3,482.50 from the town manager's budget to the South Windsor Food and Fuel Pantry and $3,482.50 to the Trex Bridal Shelter contingency account. Councilor King confirmed the resolution was being offered through him, and the council voted aye on the measure.

The motion was presented as a budget transfer from the town manager's account rather than as a personal payment to ensure it moved through municipal accounting. The town attorney explained that treating it as a transfer avoids attributing the amount to Maniscalco's personal income and aligns the change with budget procedures.

The vote was unanimous. No members recorded opposition or abstention when the roll was called and the mayor declared the resolution passed.

The council did not set a follow-up for additional donations or an ongoing policy; the action approved a one-time transfer from the current fiscal-year budget. The council also approved other budget and transfer items later in the meeting.