A screen shot from the March 8, 2022 meeting of the Derby tax board.
DERBY — As of Wednesday there was neither a finance director nor deputy finance director on the job in Derby City Hall.
Finance Director Agata Herasimowicz was placed on administrative leave March 2, according to a communication obtained by The Valley Indy.
The Valley Indy learned on Wednesday that Deputy Finance Director Angela Gencarelli was no longer with the city’s finance office. Mayor Rich Dziekan declined comment, saying it was a personnel issue. The city’s corporation counsel did not respond to an email seeking comment. The Valley Indy was unable to reach Gencarelli for comment.
Herasimowicz was hired in July. Gencarelli started in January.
The city’s Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen are scheduled to meet in private Thursday to talk about the newly vacant deputy finance director position.
According to an agenda item listed for the March 10 meeting, the city’s elected officials will meet in executive session to discuss a possible contract with a company who could provide a person who could fill the role on a temporary basis.
According to state open government laws, the board is allowed to meet in executive session to discuss contracts.
However, the people in the executive session are prohibited from veering off into any other subject not listed on the agenda during the closed-door meeting.
Any votes or board action must happen in the public’s view.
Thursday’s Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on Zoom. Click here for an agenda.
The city’s finance department usually plays an important part in the formation of the Derby budget every year, in addition to day-to-day duties. During budget meetings, the finance director usually attends to answer questions.
On Tuesday, the Derby Board of Apportionment and Taxation met for the first time since Herasimowicz was put on administrative leave. There didn’t appear to be anyone from the finance department at the meeting.
The meeting started off in a confusing manner, with members in possession of three different versions of Derby’s proposed budget and unsure which document they were supposed to be working from. Click here for the video recording of the meeting.
Members of the board regained their footing and were able to review budget requests from the police department (click here for The Valley Indy story), the city/town clerk, and the Registrar of Voters. Derby Town/Clerk Marc Garofalo suggested documents distributed to the tax board’s chair also be given to him, so he could make the documents available to the public.
The reason why Herasimowicz was put on administrative leave remains a mystery to the public. The Dziekan administration has declined comment, calling it a personnel issue. The Valley Indy submitted a Freedom of Information request seeking information on March 3, but the city has yet to release any information.
On Tuesday The Valley Indy obtained a communication from Walt Mayhew, Mayor Rich Dziekan’s chief of staff. In that communication, Mayhew describes the situation with the finance director as a “personnel matter in which there is a pending investigation.“
The nature of the investigation isn’t stated. Mayhew states that the city’s corporation counsel advised the administration not to comment “while it is pending.“
Mayhew additionally states that “in the absence of the finance director, the Deputy Finance Director has been performing the duties of the Finance Director.“
The Valley Indy was unable to ascertain who is handling those duties currently.
Mayhew’s communication references a previous communication from Herasimowicz, in which she wrote that Mayhew’s office has been “performing all duties of Finance Director” since she was placed on administrative leave. She noted she does not know why she was put on administrative leave, according to another communication obtained by The Valley Indy.
Herasimowicz is the city’s sixth finance director since 2009.
