Hiring Freeze for North Branford

At its Nov. 17 meeting, the new Town Council voted unanimously to freeze filling any vacant positions without prior confirmation by Town Council. The move

effectively freezes in place two currently empty posts, one in Public Works and one at Parks & Recreation, and will affect any other positions opening up going forward.

The decision to adopt a hiring freeze came up under a new agenda item, "Personnel Vacancies." After Town Manager Richard V. Branigan gave an overview of the two current vacancies (a June termination at Public Works and a secretary's retirement at Parks & Recreation), Town Council member Alfred Rose (R) made a motion to discuss the vacancies and then suggested adopting the hiring freeze.

"If you don't work for a municipality or the federal government, it's damn tough out there," Rose pointed out, adding it would be a lot easier for the town to freeze empty positions now than to have to lay someone off, possibly in the near future.

Rose said all signs point to the town's facing upcoming funding cuts from the state and revaluations will likely drop property values. He anticipates less operating budget revenue will be coming in to help with regular and added expenses created by new improvements (including North Branford Intermediate School, the Smith and Atwater libraries, and the Swajchuk project).

Regarding the budget, Branigan noted, "There's not a lot of fat and frills that hasn't already been cut out over the years."

Councilman Joseph Faughnan (D) said Branigan has been doing an exemplary job of hiring with an eye toward saving money, noting Branigan eliminated some part-time jobs last year rather than re-filling them.

"If we don't trust the town manager's judgment, we shouldn't be here. I think [Rose's] idea is a good one, but I'm not sure [of hiring] on a council basis rather than by the person who's supposed to do it," said Faughnan.

Town Attorney John M.

Gesmonde, asked for a finding from the Town Charter, said Town Council confirms appointments and re-appointments by the town manager of all employees. The difference the hiring freeze creates is rather than having the town manager ask Town Council for final approval of a prospective new employee; each new opening will instead be brought before

the Town Council by the town manager (with a department head if necessary) to first explain the need to re-fill the position.

"It's a chance to be educated on why we need to fill this position and what happens if we don't," said Rose, adding there are "positions in town we'd definitely have to fill. All I'm looking for is the

opportunity to save some money in the short term-real money, right away."

The Nov. 17 meeting, the first for the new council formed by November's elections, was

attended by Mayor Anthony S.

Candelora (R), Joanne S.

Wentworth (R), Alfred D. Rose (R), Rose Marie Angeloni (R),

Andrew Esposito III (D), and

Joseph E. Faughnan (D). Not

attending were council members Deputy Mayor Michael J. Doody (R), Paul L. Calamita(R), and

Vincent P. Caprio (D).