Ansonia’s chief administrative officer will resign later this year to pursue the top elected job in his hometown.
Chris Tymniak is running for the Republican nomination for First Selectman in Fairfield, where he was born and raised.
Tymniak said Monday he’d like to continue working full-time in Ansonia, but time commitments for his campaign will make it impossible.
“In a perfect world, I’d love to be able to do them both,” he said.
Mayor David Cassetti hired Tymniak in December 2013, shortly after the mayor took office.
Tymniak will transition to a part-time role focusing on constituent services May 4.
Specifically, he will be a point person for events like the farmer’s market, Memorial Day parade, and Summer Fest.
He will be paid an hourly rate pro-rated based on his $73,440 salary.
Tymniak plans to leave the part-time post Aug. 22 to devote all his time to running for first selectman in Fairfield.
Cassetti said Monday that he’s proud of Tymniak’s work and endorsed his campaign for first selectman.
“I’m very happy and satisfied with the job he’s done,” Cassetti said.
The mayor led a round of applause at Tuesday’s Aldermen’s meeting after singing Tymniak’s praises.
“Chris has done a wonderful job in his role helping on all fronts, specifically the budget, contracts, community events, and he worked many long hours helping to move the city forward,” Cassetti said.
The mayor said the city will leave Tymniak’s position vacant until after the municipal election in November.
Cassetti estimated the city will save about $43,000 through Tymniak transitioning to part-time work and then resigning in August.
Tymniak currently serves on Fairfield’s Representative Town Meeting, basically the equivalent to a Board of Aldermen.
He hopes to unseat Michael Tetreau, a Democrat who is serving in his first term as first selectman.
It’s unclear whether Tymniak will be challenged for the GOP nomination. John McKinney, a former state Senator who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2014, is reportedly mulling a run.
Prior to working in Ansonia, Tymniak ran a regional Bridgeport office for Gov. M. Jodi Rell between 2006 and 2010. Before that post, he worked as a legislative aide in the state Senate.
Tymniak has also worked as a legislative program manager for the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
He said his experience working for the state gives him an edge in representing municipal interests.
“I know how to get state money, I know how to procure money, I know how to navigate the state system,” he said.
But it’s his work in Ansonia he’ll bring to bear most directly on Fairfield if elected.
“I learned municipal government (here),” Tymniak said. “I spent two years learning how the police department operates, learning how public works operates, learning every office.”
“There’s a lot of things I see as a manager (in Ansonia) that we’re not doing in town (Fairfield),” Tymniak said.
“When you have the skill set I have and the ability to actually make a difference, I think it’s your obligation to run, it’s your duty to run,” Tymniak said.
Tymniak has been married for nine years to his wife, Nicole, with whom he has two sons, Sam, 6, and James, 3.
