First Selectman Declines Salary Increase (with update)

At the November 30 Board of Selectmen meeting, First Selectman Willie Fritz announced that he would not be taking a dedicated $2,400 raise in his salary that would have been effective this month.

Instead, he explained that he'd like to see the full amount go to the town's Social Services Department so they can use the money to hire a part-time worker.

He said he'd like to propose a part-time worker be hired at $12 an hour for 10 hours a week to help the coordinator, Cheryl Church, get through the town's fuel assistance program period.

The town's Social Services Department, located across the street from town hall in the Academy Building, provides a variety of services to those in need including assistance with Medicaid, healthcare, Veterans benefits, and more.

They processed more than 500 applications last year for fuel assistance. 

The request was approved by the Board of Selectmen in a vote of four to one (Dolly Mezzetti opposed).

The item transfer was forwarded to the Board of Finance.

Update as of Dec. 7 - In this morning's Board of Selectmen's meeting, Selectman Dolly Mezzetti made a motion to not accept the full salary increase transfer of the first selectman and instead proposed the following: to take half of her $3,000 yearly stipend ($1,500) and $900 of the first selectman's salary increase and send that amount, $2,400, to the Social Services Department.  The motion was not seconded, thus it did not proceed.