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Middlebury first selectwoman alleges unauthorized Registrar pay increases; Board tables review
Summary
First Selectwoman Jennifer Mahr presented payroll records and cited state statutes and the town charter, alleging roughly $30,000 in improperly authorized payments to the Registrar of Voters; the Board voted to table the matter to the next meeting for further review.
First Selectwoman Jennifer Mahr told the Board of Finance on June 10 that a recent change in how Registrar of Voters pay was administered appears to be inconsistent with state statute and the town pay plan. Mahr presented a packet containing a payroll summary, a 1999 position description for the Registrar of Voters, a poll-worker rate sheet and citations to Connecticut General Statutes §§9-194 and 9-195 and the Town of Middlebury Charter sections 208 and 604.
Mahr said the Registrar account shows new hourly wages and additional payment categories that were not properly authorized administratively or through the budget, and she stated that "They have already received $30,000 that was not properly administratively authorized." She added she had received a certified letter from Registrar Francis L. Barton Jr. threatening legal action over pay.
Chairman Vincent Cipriano and several board members questioned whether the old job description (filed in 1999) should be updated to reflect new duties such as state-mandated early voting. Cipriano noted the payroll documents go back to 2022 and suggested a broader review if irregularities are found. Mr. Charles Larkin and other members said updating the position description is appropriate for the budget season. Brendan Browne asked for more time to examine the documentation.
Ms. Rita Smith moved to table the compensation discussion to the next Board of Finance meeting so members could review the materials; Ms. Dawn Albizu-Calabrese seconded and the motion passed. No changes to pay were authorized at the June 10 meeting.
The Board cited Connecticut statutes in the discussion; Mahr emphasized that the First Selectwoman and the Board of Selectmen set compensation through the adopted pay plan and that deviations made without authorization would be improper. The matter was left for further review at the next meeting.
