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08/05/2022 04:00 PMOn Aug. 3 the Town Council unanimously agreed to a new contract with Town Manager Karl Kilduff. That contract will keep him in town for at least the next three years.
For the last three years, Kilduff has been the person handling Clinton’s day-to-day administration. He started his role as Clinton’s first town manager in 2020, signing a three-year contract with the town. That contract was set to expire at the end of the year, and Kilduff had until July 10 to inform the town if he intended to stay in Clinton. Following a short executive session on July 6, the Town Council announced it would start the process of negotiating a new town manager contract.
After two executive sessions during the Council’s July meeting and another at the Aug. 3 meeting, the council announced that a new three-year contact was in place.
“Everyone on the Council is extremely thrilled he’s staying and he can continue the great work he’s been doing,” Town Council Chairman Chris Aniskovich said following the meeting.
Aniskovich said that Kilduff will sign his new contract within the next week. Until the contract is signed, Aniskovich declined to state the salary amount Kilduff will be paid. Aniskovich said that will be made available once the contract is signed.
“I appreciate the Council’s unanimous support and look forward to continued progress. It has been an honor to serve as Clinton’s town manager,” Kilduff said when asked for comment.
“Serving as a town manager is a tough job and often tougher being the first town manager for a community. The support of the past two Councils has helped make the transition in the form of government smoother. I really appreciate the Council’s support and that of the town’s department heads,” he continued.
Per the town charter, a town manager cannot be given a contract for a length of longer than three years. That provision may be changed in the future, however. The council asked the town’s charter revision commission consider changing that rule.
Earlier this summer Aniskovich said keeping Kilduff in charge sends a signal that Clinton is on the right track.
“I think it’s important we don’t get into a revolving door situation where we’re changing town managers every three years. Him staying signals a belief in our town and what we’re doing here,” said Aniskovich earlier in 2022.
Aniskovich said that though Kilduff has been in Clinton about two and a half years, he is still learning things about Clinton and people are still learning about him.
In 2018, Clinton voters overwhelmingly voted to change the style of town government to a town council-town manager form of government from a board of selectman style of government. Proponents of the move argued that the town would benefit from having a professional run the day-to-day operations of the town. Clinton politicians of all parties, as well as town employees, have publicly and privately told the Harbor News that they largely approve of the job Kilduff has done thus far, specifically when it comes to the streamlined budget process, when compared to the old model.