Wellington staff recommends keeping hiring freeze for three positions until 2027 budget review

Patty Garcia, Wellington’s town administrator, and Nick Redavid, finance director and town treasurer, told trustees the town should maintain a hiring freeze on three previously approved but unfilled positions to avoid drawing on fund balances.

Redavid reviewed the positions and the budget context: two public-works administration positions (including a civil engineer), a position that had been the fleet and safety coordinator and was being reevaluated, and a parks position previously requested to support maintenance and an upcoming responsibility tied to Cleveland Avenue. Staff said the hiring freeze was adopted during development of the FY2026 budget to mitigate operating deficits in the general and park funds and that statutory and regulatory obligations are still being met with current staff. Redavid noted general-fund revenue is currently above projections overall while park fund revenue is slightly under projection; he said the board needed more time and data to determine whether those trends are sustainable.

Garcia recommended holding the hiring freeze and reassessing those positions during the FY2027 budget process, while human resources continues to collect department personnel requests. Trustees asked whether redistributed duties would be compensated; Garcia said no compensation changes were planned at this time. Several trustees praised the conservative, data-driven approach and expressed appreciation for staff work and the intent to protect both services and staff morale.

The presentation drew no formal motion for immediate hiring, and trustees signaled support for staff’s recommendation to maintain the freeze with a planned reassessment during the 2027 budget process.