Boucher, Tartell Voice Support for Wilton CFO Amid Audit, Financial Reporting Questions

First Selectman Toni Boucher and Second Selectman Ross Tartell issued separate statements this week expressing strong support for Chief Financial Officer Dawn Savo amid continuing questions about Wilton’s financial operations.

The statements also followed reports from multiple sources with close knowledge of Town Hall affairs that Savo may have received a job offer from another municipality and informed Boucher. GOOD Morning Wilton has not independently confirmed those reports. Boucher has broadly and repeatedly denied that Savo is leaving Wilton but has not directly answered whether Savo received another offer or discussed one with her. Savo did not respond to GMW’s request for comment.

Boucher sent GMW a 400-word statement Monday, Sept. 21, expressing her “strong support and appreciation” for Savo’s continued leadership. It arrived on Boucher’s first business day back following an absence from Town Hall.

“I write to express my strong support and appreciation for Dawn Marie Savo’s continued leadership as Chief Financial Officer for Wilton,” Boucher said in her statement.

“We must avoid judging leaders recruited to fix broken systems by the legacy flaws those repairs expose,” she said. “Dawn accepted a difficult assignment under intense scrutiny. She has achieved significant progress, and earned the Town’s staff and my complete confidence to lead the Finance Department for Wilton’s taxpayers.”

Boucher did not say what prompted the statement or directly answer when GMW asked whether it was issued in response to reports that Savo might leave Wilton.

The statement also came amid continuing scrutiny of the Town’s unfinished Fiscal Year 2025 audit, delays in providing financial reports requested by elected officials and conflicting accounts of work performed by outside consultant Joseph Centofanti.

Tartell followed with his own statement Tuesday, Sept. 22. He said he was writing in his individual capacity and not on behalf of the Board of Selectmen.

While strongly supporting Savo, Tartell also acknowledged shortcomings in how the Town’s financial recovery has been managed and communicated.

“Although much was accomplished, town leadership could have provided clearer priorities, stronger coordination, and more consistent follow-through on this corrective work,” Tartell wrote. “The Boards of Selectmen and Finance repeatedly requested financial information and status updates; the need for a more reliable response to those requests should be acknowledged.”

Tartell also said there were occasions when requested information was delivered late, reports had to be revised and “the status of important work should have been explained more fully.”

“Those concerns are legitimate and should be acknowledged,” he wrote. “The Town’s boards and the public are entitled to timely, accurate, and understandable financial information.”

[The complete statements from Boucher and Tartell appear at the end of the story.]

Questions Sent to Town Officials

On Sept. 9, GMW sent Boucher, Savo and all five selectmen a detailed list of questions stemming from separate Sept. 8 meetings of the BOS and Board of Finance.

The questions addressed Centofanti’s work, the overdue FY25 audit, repeated delays in providing financial information requested by elected officials and whether the BOS had exercised sufficient oversight.

Boucher was out of the office through Sept. 17 and did not respond by GMW’s requested Sept. 10 deadline.

Selectmen Matt Raimondi and David Tatkow did respond to GMW’s questions, including through a substantial interview with Tatkow. Their comments were included in GMW’s Sept. 15 special report.

Savo also submitted a written response regarding Centofanti’s work and her own role. Tartell’s Sept. 22 statement was his first response to the questions. Selectman Rich McCarty has not responded.

Boucher’s statement also followed a Sept. 17 letter to the editor from resident Josh Kopac that outlined a chronology of public statements made by Boucher and Savo and raised questions about inconsistencies in their accounts of the Finance Department’s work.

Personnel History

Over the past year, Wilton has experienced significant personnel challenges beginning with the sudden departure of former CFO Dawn Norton in August 2025. Norton resigned after Town officials learned that she was working remotely from Wyoming while simultaneously holding an in-person position as town administrator in Greybull, WY.

One month later, Controller Anthony DeFelice, the Finance Department’s second-in-command, also resigned, leaving only two relatively new employees working in an already understaffed department.

Around that time, Wilton engaged outside accounting consultant Centofanti through PKF O’Connor Davies LLP to serve as interim CFO at a cost of $375 per hour. Centofanti was tasked with helping stabilize the Finance Department and remedying what officials have described as the department’s deep-rooted operational issues and problems connected to the Town’s conversion to the Munis financial software system.

In September 2025, Town Administrator Matt Knickerbocker’s three-year contract ended and the position was not refilled. Questions were subsequently raised about how the Town had managed the software transition, which affected departments throughout Town government.

Savo, who came to Wilton with 33 years of municipal finance experience, was hired as Wilton’s CFO and began work on Dec. 8.

At that time, Boucher told elected officials that Centofanti would remain at Savo’s request to complete the FY25 reconciliation needed for the Town’s annual audit, which was originally due on Dec. 31, 2025 but officials had to seek an extension to the last possible date of June 30, 2026. Savo, officials were told, would focus on FY26 reconciliation and preparation of the FY27 budget.

The FY25 audit remains unfinished, and town officials hope to have it submitted by Sept. 30.

Progress and Responsibilities

Since Savo’s arrival, members of both the BOS and BOF have repeatedly raised concerns about the audit’s progress, the availability and timeliness of financial reports and Centofanti’s work.

Boucher and Savo gave elected officials several anticipated completion dates for Centofanti’s reconciliation work, but those deadlines passed and the Town missed the state June 30 audit extension deadline.

Board members also repeatedly asked to hear directly from Centofanti; Boucher and Savo told them he would be available but then said his contract no longer required him to report to any elected officials to answer any questions.

When Savo presented a document prepared by Centofanti at the July 6 BOS meeting containing general figures from the FY25 reconciliation, she stressed that she had not participated in its preparation and could speak about the figures only generally. She described the numbers as preliminary and said Centofanti was continuing his work.

At a Sept. 8 BOF meeting, however, BOF Chair Tim Birch told his board members that Savo had taken responsibility for completing the remaining FY25 work, because Centofanti “didn’t produce anything.” BOF Vice Chair Rudy Escalante added, “He didn’t do a good job.”

Savo disputed that characterization in her subsequent statement to GMW. She said Centofanti had delivered “final reconciled trial balances” for FY25 on April 15 and continued supporting the audit process after that date.

Her account raised further questions about when Centofanti’s reconciliation assignment was completed, when his role changed and what elected officials were told about the status of his work.

Boucher’s statement said Centofanti “continues supporting Wilton’s CFO through the active audit.”

Centofanti and PKF O’Connor Davies have billed the Town more than $250,000 since the engagement began.

Boucher and Tartell Defend Savo’s Record

In her statement, Boucher said Savo inherited “significant organizational transition, an incomplete financial system implementation, unresolved accounting work, staffing issues, and an overdue audit.”

“Throughout her tenure, Dawn has resolved prior-year accounting issues, managed current operations, supported budget development, advanced the Munis implementation, improved internal processes, and established a reorganized department,” Boucher wrote.

She acknowledged that the BOS had “rightly raised expectations regarding report timeliness and clear status updates” but said Savo would provide financial reporting only when she was “entirely confident the data is accurate and all auditor inquiries are fully resolved.”

“The immense scope of Dawn’s work and progress must not be overshadowed by recently reported remarks,” Boucher wrote. “Ongoing areas for improvement should not eclipse the significant advancements achieved.”

Tartell offered a similar assessment but more directly acknowledged leadership and communication shortcomings.

“This context does not mean that every aspect of the transition went as smoothly as it should have,” he wrote.

Tartell said supporting Savo did not mean “minimizing legitimate concerns or suggesting that further improvement is unnecessary.”

“Accountability remains essential,” he wrote. “Town leadership should work with the CFO to establish measurable priorities, realistic timelines, and regular progress reports responsive to the boards’ requests.”

He also said Town leadership is responsible for providing “the direction, coordination, staffing, and other resources needed to meet those expectations.”

Questions Remain

Among the questions GMW sent to Town officials Sept. 9 were when Centofanti’s work for the Town ended or changed, who made that decision, what work remained incomplete and whether BOS members were informed.

GMW also asked how much Centofanti had been paid, whether the Town would review his contractual deliverables and whether it would consider withholding payment or seeking reimbursement for any work that was not completed.

The requested contract and invoices were not provided in response to that email.

Questions also remain about FY26 budget-to-actual reports. Birch said at the Sept. 8 BOF meeting that he had been requesting the reports weekly for approximately two months without receiving them.

GMW also asked who is ultimately responsible for ensuring that financial documents distributed at public meetings are available to elected officials and the public in a timely manner.

Reports About Savo’s Future

On Friday, Sept. 18, after GMW began receiving reports that Savo might have received an offer from another municipality, Boucher broadly and unequivocally denied that Savo was leaving Wilton.

“No one is going anywhere. Who is spreading this news?” Boucher said.

She later added, “This is not true. Not at all.”

When asked again about the information Sept. 20, Boucher said the sources “do not seem reliable.”

After Boucher issued her statement supporting Savo, GMW asked whether it had been prompted by reports about a possible departure.

On Sept. 22, Boucher responded, “There are not rumors of any departure, who are your sources,” and added, “My view is that baseless rumors should not become sources.”

Boucher has not directly answered whether Savo told her that she had received an offer from another municipality. Savo did not respond to GMW’s request for corroboration or denial.

Sept. 22 BOS Meeting

Savo was not present at the BOS meeting Tuesday, Sept. 22. Boucher did not read or publicly discuss her written statement supporting Savo during the meeting.

Selectmen did discuss financial reporting and other Finance Department matters, including issues connected to the FY25 audit and reconciliation.

GMW will report separately on the specifics of that discussion.

Statement from Wilton First Selectman, Toni Boucher, 9/21/2026

I write to express my strong support and appreciation for Dawn Marie Savo’s continued leadership as Chief Financial Officer for Wilton.

Dawn assumed the CFO position during a challenging period for the Town’s financial operations. Rather than inheriting a routine management situation, she faced significant organizational transition, an incomplete financial system implementation, unresolved accounting work, staffing issues, and an overdue audit. An interim CFO had been brought in to help stabilize operations during a major departmental reorganization, and he continues supporting Wilton’s CFO through the active audit. When Wilton fortunately recruited Dawn last December, she immediately accepted two daunting tasks: managing daily operations while rebuilding the systems, processes, staffing, and controls required for long-term stability.

Throughout her tenure, Dawn has resolved prior-year accounting issues, managed current operations, supported budget development, advanced the Munis implementation, improved internal processes, and established a reorganized department. Much of this essential behind-the-scenes labor remains hidden from public view, yet it forms the backbone of a reliable financial system.

This transition required adaptation. The Board of Selectmen rightly raised expectations regarding report timeliness and clear status updates. Dawn fully recognizes these legitimate needs; however, she remains steadfast that financial reporting will be provided only when she is entirely confident the data is accurate and all auditor inquiries are fully resolved.

The immense scope of Dawn’s work and progress must not be overshadowed by recently reported remarks. Ongoing areas for improvement should not eclipse the significant advancements achieved. Dawn inherited cumulative, deep-rooted problems that could not be solved overnight. She was hired to correct these issues, not because she created them. The true metric of success is whether the Town actively moves toward stronger controls, refined processes, and trustworthy reporting.

Working directly with Dawn, I have witnessed her commitment, sound professional judgment, and perseverance. Because this rebuilding process, including audit completion, refined reporting, and strengthened controls—remains ongoing, continuous leadership is vital. Wilton requires stability paired with persistent improvement. Supporting Dawn does not mean lowering standards; we expect excellence, and we know she shares that commitment.

We must avoid judging leaders recruited to fix broken systems by the legacy flaws those repairs expose. Dawn accepted a difficult assignment under intense scrutiny. She has achieved significant progress, and earned the Town’s staff and my complete confidence to lead the Finance Department for Wilton’s taxpayers.

Perspective on Wilton’s Financial Rebuilding, Second Selectman Ross Tartell

In recent weeks, Wilton residents have heard serious questions and concerns about the Town’s financial operations and the progress of the work now underway. These concerns deserve thoughtful answers. As a member of the Board of Selectmen, I also believe I have a responsibility to share my own assessment of that work and of our Chief Financial Officer, Dawn Savo. Consistent with the Town’s practice that communications about Town business by board members go through the chair, I have shared this statement with First Selectman Toni Boucher. I write here in my individual capacity; these views are my own, not a statement on behalf of the Board of Selectmen. Public discussion should recognize both the seriousness of Wilton’s financial challenges and the progress that has been made.

Wilton is at an important point in rebuilding its financial operations. After a prolonged period of delayed financial reporting, incomplete reconciliations, staffing shortages, difficulties with the conversion to a new financial system, and significant audit findings, the Town is undertaking the difficult work of creating a Finance Department with stronger systems, clearer responsibilities, and more reliable internal controls.

Dawn Savo became Wilton’s Chief Financial Officer on December 8, 2025. She did not create the conditions she was hired to address. By the time she arrived, the previous CFO, Town Administrator, and Controller were no longer Town employees, and the Finance Department was undergoing a substantial reorganization.

The Town hired Interim CFO Joe Centofanti of PKF O’Connor Davies, a firm that had previously served as Wilton’s auditor, to help stabilize the department and identify and address many of the problems requiring attention. As the work progressed, however, the complexity and magnitude of the Town’s financial challenges became increasingly clear. Although much was accomplished, town leadership could have provided clearer priorities, stronger coordination, and more consistent follow-through on this corrective work. The Boards of Selectmen and Finance repeatedly requested financial information and status updates; the need for a more reliable response to those requests should be acknowledged.

Dawn assumed responsibility for this complex situation while also being expected to complete overdue financial work, reconstruct records, prepare for the audit, improve the Town’s use of Munis software, support the annual budget process, and respond to the needs of the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, auditors, department heads, and the public. Any one of these responsibilities would have been demanding. Addressing them simultaneously, while rebuilding the department’s staffing and operating structure, created an unusually challenging assignment.

This context does not mean that every aspect of the transition went as smoothly as it should have. There were occasions when financial information requested by the Boards of Selectmen and Finance was delivered later than expected, reports had to be revised, and the status of important work should have been explained more fully. Those concerns are legitimate and should be acknowledged. The Town’s boards and the public are entitled to timely, accurate, and understandable financial information.

At the same time, these concerns must be evaluated fairly and in the context of the conditions Dawn inherited. Reconstructing financial records, correcting longstanding process failures, implementing a financial system that had not been functioning as intended, filling critical vacancies, and establishing new controls cannot be accomplished immediately. This work also cannot be judged solely by whether every report was produced on its original timetable. Timeliness is important, but accuracy and the creation of dependable, sustainable processes are equally important.

Dawn has undertaken this work under unusually difficult circumstances and intense public scrutiny. She has demonstrated resilience, professional competence, sound judgment, and a willingness to confront serious problems directly. Rather than avoiding the problems she encountered, she has continued the difficult work of identifying their causes and establishing more reliable financial practices. She understands the importance of the audit findings, the need to restore confidence in the Town’s financial processes, and the responsibility to provide the Town’s boards with better and more timely information.

Supporting Dawn’s work does not mean minimizing legitimate concerns or suggesting that further improvement is unnecessary. Accountability remains essential. Town leadership should work with the CFO to establish measurable priorities, realistic timelines, and regular progress reports responsive to the boards’ requests. It also has a responsibility to provide the direction, coordination, staffing, and other resources needed to meet those expectations.

I strongly support Dawn Savo and the work she is leading as Wilton’s Chief Financial Officer. That support is not based on a belief that every problem has been resolved. It is based on her demonstrated commitment to addressing the problems, improving the Town’s financial practices, and building a Finance Department that can meet Wilton’s long-term needs.

Wilton’s financial challenges were not created by one person, and they will not be solved by one person. Lasting improvement will require cooperation among the CFO, Town leadership, Finance Department staff, auditors, the Board of Selectmen, and the Board of Finance. It will also require candid communication, clearly defined responsibilities, effective oversight, and a shared respectful commitment to completing the corrective work already underway.

The Town should evaluate this work carefully, fairly, and on the basis of accurate and complete information. Based on what I have observed, I have confidence in Dawn’s competence, resilience, and commitment to restoring the Town’s financial operations. She has my support as she continues the important work she was hired to perform.