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10/03/2018 08:00 AMThe Sept. 27 story “Inappropriate Actions by Clinton BOF Members Mar Town Hire” omits several important facts.
Clinton’s Town Charter Section 8-18 specifically tasks the Board of Finance with recommending the town’s finance director to the Board of Selectman for final approval. The Board of Selectmen selected Richard McArdle as Clinton’s finance director at its morning meeting on Sept. 5, without any prior recommendation from the Board of Finance, but “pending a recommendation by the Board of Finance.”
Previously, a search committee was formed, which included First Selectman Christine Goupil, Selectman Jack Scherban, Board of Finance Vice Chair Dara Onofrio, and me. In addition to these members, in the only meeting by the search committee with Mr. McArdle, was Superintendent of Schools Mary Ann O’Donnell. After that interview, no meeting was held by the search committee to reach a consensus on this only candidate presented.
The Board of Finance was confronted with a decision to recommend Mr. McArdle after he had already been approved by the Board of Selectmen at its meeting on that same morning. It did so without either the Board of Selectmen or the Board of Finance meeting Mr. McArdle.
The accusation by the first selectman that a member of the Board of Finance violated the Code of Ethics by checking Mr. McArdle’s references is not specific. Goupil fails to accuse any individual by name, to describe when or whom they “inappropriate[ly]” contacted or to cite any provision of the code that was violated.
The Ethics Code stipulates that accusations of ethics violations are confidential until the Board of Ethics establishes probable cause. Therefore, the only code violation is publicly airing of these unfounded and unfair ethics accusations by the first selectman.
Kirk Carr
Clinton
Editor’s note: The Clinton Code of Ethics states that discussions held by the Board of Ethics in executive session are confidential and that all information supplied to or received from the Board of Ethics during evaluation of a claim shall remain confidential unless the board determines probable cause. As of press time, the Board of Ethics had not received a complaint since April.