Derby Talks Joint Finance Director As Way To Save Cash

Derby is again exploring whether to have a single person serve as finance director for both City Hall and the Derby Board of Education.

A search committee charged with finding a replacement for Derby Finance Director Henry Domurad, Jr. met for the first time Tuesday night for about 40 minutes in a private session reviewing resumes for the position.

State law allows government agencies to hold non-public meetings during certain personnel searches.

During the public session of the meeting, the committee decided to tack a two-track approach:

1. Send a letter to the Derby Board of Education asking them to reconsider hiring a joint finance director for the city and school district in order to save taxpayers money.

2. Contact four possible candidates for the finance director position.

The position will be full-time If the school board agrees to hire a single person to manage the finance departments at City Hall and the school administrative officers.

The city position will be part-time if the school board wants to stick with the current setup, in which the two entities have separate finance directors.

The Derby Board of Aldermen wanted to hire a dual finance director for the city and the school district in 2006. The school board seemed agreeable, but, in the end, wouldn’t agree to the plan, according to Alderman Ken Hughes.

Since 2006, the economy collapsed, the housing market died, foreclosures skyrocketed and Derby taxpayers struggle every year to cover the school and city spending plans.

The search committee hopes the school board — who are currently lacking a full-time finance director — takes advantage of the opportunity to save money.

Possibly we’ll hold a joint meeting with the Board of Education where we can talk to them about this,” said Alderman Ron Sill, co-chairman of the search committee. Hopefully we can convince the majority of them that this is a way to save money.”

Derby City Treasurer Keith McLiverty also said a joint finance director makes sense.

The budgets are at a scale where a joint position could work. We’ve got to do something for the taxpayers. The budgets could really be managed by one person,” McLiverty said.

McLiverty is also the director of finance, operations, facilities and transportation for the Pomperaug Regional School District 15.

The members of the search committee include Ron Sill, Jim Butler, Hughes, Judy Szewczyk, Phil Robertson, Joseph Coppola and Keith McLiverty.

They’ll meet again 6 p.m. Monday in Derby City Hall.

The salary for the position wasn’t discussed Tuesday.

Derby has received about 50 resumes for the city finance director opening.

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