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First selectman defends $2,000 fire‑services consultant in budget; board discusses elected-official pay and charter review
Summary
At the Jan. 20 meeting the first selectman said a $2,000 consulting line in his budget would provide mentoring and operational advice to the new fire director; board members questioned whether the cost should be borne by the first selectman's office or the fire department and raised broader questions about elected-official pay and possible charter revision.
The board spent a substantial portion of its Jan. 20 meeting discussing the Board of Selectmen budget and the first selectman’s decision to include a $2,000 consultant line to provide an executive adviser for the town’s new director of fire services.
A commenter voiced concern that the consulting request listed $2,000 while a signed contract showed $1,500; she also requested that consultants’ deliverables be shared with elected officials and the public. During budget discussion the first selectman explained the consultant was intended as a mentor and adviser for the newly appointed fire director during a “critical time” as the town examines staffing, buildings, fleet and a possible shift toward a more paid fire service. The first selectman said the consultant is a 30‑year veteran and “one of the officers of the fire chiefs association of the state of Connecticut,” and described the $2,000 as “probably the best $2,000 I probably could commit to” for supporting fire services without supplanting statutory responsibilities of other review groups.
Board members asked why that line was in the first selectman’s budget rather than in the fire department’s budget. The first selectman responded that supporting directors is an executive responsibility and that he needs an independent adviser the director can consult outside the chain of command. He offered to have the town clerk/finance staff confirm whether the expense should be coded elsewhere, and he said he would provide comparative information on neighboring municipalities at the RTM’s request.
Discussion broadened into governance topics. A board member recommended reviewing the first selectman’s salary relative to comparable local executives; the first selectman noted elected-official compensation is under RTM jurisdiction but offered to request a salary survey and to draft context materials for the RTM. He urged care on charter revision timing and scope, saying a formal charter revision should be comprehensive and not piecemeal.
The board later moved and approved the Board of Selectmen budget as proposed.
Next steps: the first selectman said he will coordinate with the RTM moderator and the finance director on comparative salary data if the board requests a formal survey; staff will verify correct budget coding for consultant line items.
