At Monday evening’s (Oct. 6) Board of Selectmen meeting, First Selectman Toni Boucher and her human resources director sought to paint a rosy picture of the rebuilding Wilton Finance Department, which was buoyed by last week’s hiring of a new controller. But once again, the selectmen were not provided a direct report nor an in-person visit from the new interim chief financial officer.
Instead, Boucher used her First Selectman’s Report time during the meeting to tell the BOS that everything in the Finance Department was fine — but then discouraged additional questions from board members.
“This is not a discussion and not a board meeting time, though, just remember that, okay?” Boucher said.
A Panoply of Issues
Wilton’s Finance Department has experienced a panoply of issues over the past year, culminating with the hasty departure in August of its CFO Dawn Norton, who was discovered to be holding down another full-time job after having permanently relocated to Wyoming months earlier.
As the hasty search got underway for her replacement (and still continues), Controller Anthony DeFelice, the second in command at the Finance Department, quit to go work for the town of Fairfield.
On Aug. 27, the BOS approved hiring Joseph Centofanti as a per diem interim CFO to help get the town back on track. With budget season looming, a mandated independent audit underway, and various process issues in need of fixes, the hope was that Centofanti could help move things along.
Boucher said at the Sept. 17 BOS meeting that she anticipated Centofanti would make an appearance at the Oct. 6 meeting to give BOS members an update on the state of affairs in Wilton’s Finance Department, as well as his recommendations for additional temporary personnel. However, he was not present last night.
Despite Boucher’s move to discourage any questions from BOS members, Selectman Rich McCarty asked for a second time exactly what Centofanti was costing the town, while Selectwoman Kim Healy inquired about Centofanti’s recommendation to employ additional temporary per diem help.
Boucher said that she would get back to the BOS with cost specifics next time, adding that Centofanti had not recommended any additional personnel at this time.
Whlie the hope and assumption had been that Centofanti would be working more than one day per week, Boucher said that he has only been doing the one day, though she sought to emphasize that he was available at all times, given his prompt response to emails from her.
“He’s absolutely in total communication day and night and on weekends … He’s on duty the whole time,” she said.
In a report from Centofanti that Boucher read at the Sept. 17 meeting, it was noted that in order to provide a more detailed review of the financial state of the town, salary lines and payroll postings for most departments would need to be reviewed in order to verify that reported amounts are actually correct. Other issues, Centofanti said, include review of budget lines to verify if activities have been completed, as well as verification of all activities have accurately been recorded into the newer computer system.
Finance Department Personnel Update
Joined by Wilton Human Resources, Labor Relations and Administrative Services Director Sarah Taffel, Boucher presented a summary of the Finance Department’s current personnel.
“We have an excellent new controller,” Boucher said. “Her name is Tracy Haberman. This is her first week. She started on the first [of October] and the first day she said, ‘Boy, I’m having fun.'”
Boucher said that DeFelice has been continuing to help, coming to Wilton after work and on weekends to coach Haberman.
“In many ways that controller position is doing a lot of the CFO work,” Boucher said.
Taffel praised Haberman’s arrival.
“Tracy is highly energetic,” Taffel said. “She’s come in with all sorts of goals that she’s articulated as far as getting to the bottom of things, thoroughly restoring processes that need to be shored up.”
Taffel noted that Haberman has an existing relationship with Centofanti through past work experiences.
“She’s hit the ground running and we’re so happy about that,” Boucher said, “and certainly there’s an awful lot for her to do and she’s taken on some of the roles of CFO too.”
Taffel also made mention of Naomi Bond, Wilton’s the senior accountant, who started in April. “She too has been highly energetic,” Taffel said, with the previous senior accountant staying on longer to help acclimate her.
Jerry Herrera, the new accounts payable clerk, has also received praise from supervisors, Taffel said.
“They think he has time to take on more tasks so they are bringing him up to speed in other areas,” she said.
Preparing to Give Budget Data to BOF
Boucher noted that Wilton’s Board of Finance is expecting a quantity of financial data from Centofanti at its next meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 14, including budget actuals.
“We also are preparing to give our budget guidance [data] hopefully by the end of the week, but we’ll share it with you first as we get there,” Boucher said.
“In fact, the number is not going to be the most accurate yet, because we have to sit down with each department and actually go through what the actual needs are,” she said, “but we’re going to give them [something].”
Boucher praised Centofanti’s work and promised a forthcoming report.
“He’s managing the process pretty well at the moment,” she said, “but we’ll definitely get you a report from Joe … and hours and tasks at hand.”