Middletown council rejects resolution to block school administrators’ contract, approving agreement

The Middletown Common Council voted on Dec. 18 to approve a tentative contract between the City Board of Education and the Middletown School Administrators Association for July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029, after members rejected a resolution that had been framed negatively by statute.

Council members conducted a roll-call vote after the resolution was read and explained. The clerk told the council that, "under the state statute, the resolution is written in the negative so that your motion is made to reject the contract. So for the contract to be approved, you have to vote against the resolution," language read into the record by the clerk to explain the unusual procedure.

That statutory framing derives from the teacher negotiation act; council members voting ‘‘nay’’ on the rejection resolution therefore enabled the contract to take effect. The clerk announced a final tally of 1 aye, 9 nays and 1 absent, and the presiding officer stated, "Nays have it," meaning the contract was approved.

The council’s roll-call record, as read by the clerk, shows Councilwoman Linda Salafia voted "aye," while the majority voted "nay;" Councilman Fulton was recorded absent. The council did not read additional details of the contract terms into the public meeting record beyond the effective dates and parties; the resolution and statutory citation were entered on the agenda.

Because the vote used the negative framing required by state law, council members and staff clarified the procedure during the meeting to ensure members and the public understood that rejecting the resolution would prevent approval. The meeting record does not include an extended debate on the contract’s substantive provisions during this special session.

The council moved immediately afterward to consider appointment and committee matters on the agenda.