They called him the finance director when they gave him the job. They referred to him as the finance director at countless public meetings. Even that letter of resignation, which he claimed was phony, contained the phrase “director of finance.”
So Henry Domurad Jr. was Derby’s finance director, right?
Wrong, according to Derby City Hall.
During the July 3 court hearing in Domurad’s civil lawsuit against Mayor Anthony Staffieri, Derby Corporation Counsel Joseph Coppola said that Domurad was never, in fact, the Derby finance director — at least according to Coppola’s reading of the Derby City Charter.
Domurad sued Staffieri, claiming he was wrongfully terminated in April. Domurad said he was fired — an act not approved by the Derby Aldermen — and that he never signed a letter of resignation circulated by the mayor’s office in April.
A judge ruled that the signature on the letter circulated by Derby City Hall is indeed Domurad’s signature and refused to reinstate the long-time Derby resident as finance director.
Domurad’s lawyer, John Gesmonde, said July 3 and again July 4 the wrongful termination lawsuit against the mayor will continue, despite the judge’s ruling.
As of July 16, the state’s online court database lists the case as disposed — over.
One of the more curious aspects of the court hearing held earlier this month — the mayor and the Board of Aldermen ignored their own rules when they appointed Domurad finance director in 2008.
Domurad never had the qualifications listed in the Derby City Charter to be the finance director, Coppola told Judge Arthur Hiller.
Domurad was no more than a clerk, Coppola repeatedly told the judge.
Since Domurad never qualified as finance director, he had no legal basis to demand to be reinstated, Coppola argued.
The video below shows Coppola questioning Domurad during the July 3 hearing.
The Staffieri administration insists Domurad was not fired. But, even if he had been fired, there would have been no need to take his termination to the Derby Board of Approval because he was just a clerk.
Staffieri said Domurad resigned — and that on April 12 he acted on an undated letter of resignation that Domurad had submitted to him sometime in August or September of 2011.
Domurad disputes this and maintains he was fired.
The Qualifications
According to the Derby Charter, the city’s finance director is supposed to have a background in business.
The charter — the blueprint for Derby government — states the finance director is supposed to have a bachelor of science in business, accounting, finance or a related field.
If the candidate doesn’t meet those qualifications, he or she is supposed to have at least five years experience as a licensed CPA, or a master’s degree in business administration or a related field.
Domurad — who holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemistry and has 18 credits toward his MBA — did not have the specific qualifications spelled out in the Derby Charter.
However, Domurad had a boat load of knowledge about the city’s budget process, having served 16 years on the city’s tax board, 14 years as chairman.
The lack of proper credentials did not surface at the 2008 Aldermen meeting where Domurad, a long-time Democrat, was recommended by Staffieri, a Republican, and approved by the Board of Aldermen.
According to meeting minutes from Oct. 23, 2008, Staffieri stressed Domurad’s academic degrees and said Domurad “fits every one of my wishes.”
Outside court Tuesday, Staffieri told the Valley Indy Domurad was supposed to “get qualified.”
“He was supposed to get certified in different things that made him qualify for his job. He didn’t,” Staffieri said. “We had an agreement that he would get qualified.”
Domurad’s lack of specific qualifications was, according to the mayor, the source of their dispute.
However, from the witness stand Tuesday, Domurad disputed the mayor’s assertion about getting qualified. He noted his personnel fire contained nothing about the mayor’s displeasure with his status.
He said the only “certification” he was supposed to get involved being able to become the business manager for Derby Public Schools.
Staffieri apparently approached Derby schools in late 2011 and talked about Domuard being the finance director for the schools and the city. However, former Superintendent Stephen Tracy was not interested in the idea, Domurad testified July 3.
Domurad further testified that he had much more responsibilities than a clerk in the finance department.
“Domurad has no case,” Coppola, the Derby corporation counsel, said in a letter. “There is no other letter of resignation, only the one Mr. Domurad handed to the Mayor. Mr. Domurad simply stated untrue facts in order to make his claim look as if he is following case law. The Mayor and Phil Robertson stated the truth.”
While a judge clearly did not believe Domurad’s assertion he did not sign a letter of resignation circulated by City Hall, the details revealed in court shed much more light on what may have transpired.
Click here to read how local Aldermen and political leaders are reacting.
