The short answer is, possibly.

Wilton’s Board of Selectmen (BOS) convened a special meeting Tuesday night (Jan. 25), to discuss the latest developments in the search for a new chief financial officer for the Town of Wilton and the Board of Education (BOE).

Following a confidential executive session to review the recommendations of the search committee (comprised of First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice, Wilton Public Schools Superintendant Kevin Smith and Board of Finance (BOF) member Sandy Arkell), members of the BOS voted unanimously to authorize Vanderslice to make an offer of employment to an unnamed candidate.

No details of the offer, including salary, were discussed publicly.

The new executive will replace former CFO Anne Kelly-Lenz, who resigned effective Jan. 14.

Budget Planning Won’t Wait

The BOS and BOE hope to find a suitable CFO candidate quickly, with the budget planning process for FY2023 already underway.

In preparation to meet the March 4 deadline for the BOS to submit a budget proposal to the Board of Finance, the BOS set the following interim meeting dates:

  • Feb. 7: Budget overview (note: this meeting will have a 6:00 p.m. start)
  • Feb. 9: Police, Fire, Public Works, Transfer Station
  • Feb. 15: Parks & Rec, Land Use, Social Services, Administrative Depts.
  • Feb. 22: Remaining questions, budget decision, discussion on bonded capital

The Board of Education (which develops a budget proposal separate from the BOS), and the Board of Finance (which reviews both the BOS and BOE budget proposals before they are presented to residents at the Annual Town Meeting) will have their own schedule of budget meetings.

The meetings will be held on Zoom and are open to the public. Links to join the meetings are posted on the agenda for each meeting, on the Town website.

While some key FY2023 budget meeting dates are still to be determined, the overall budget timeline is driven by the Town Charter, which calls for the Annual Town Meeting (ATM) to be held on the first Tuesday of May, with an additional day to complete voting on the following Saturday.

In keeping with the Town Charter, this year’s ATM is set for Tuesday, May 3.

Though Vanderslice recalled that even in the years preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance by residents at the ATM was light, she expects this year’s ATM will follow the traditional, in-person format.

“We shouldn’t have any trouble doing [the town meeting] in person this year,” Vanderslice said, alluding to various adjustments that were necessary in the last two budget cycles due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Let’s hope so,” Selectman Ross Tartell added.

Look for GOOD Morning Wilton‘s continuing coverage of the budget process which will include the full calendar of BOS, BOE and BOF meetings and public hearings on the proposed budgets.