DERBY — The City of Derby is preparing a separation agreement agreement with Derby Tax Collector Denise Cesaroni, who is leaving Derby government after 23 years.
The Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen met in executive session Monday for 13 minutes to discuss Cesaroni’s departure. The meeting, which was held on Zoom, is embedded below:
Executive sessions are a type of meeting that can be closed to the public under certain circumstances spelled out in state law, such as when talking about a specific public employee.
The executive session included Mayor Richard Dziekan, all members of the BOA/A who were present, Dziekan’s chief of staff Andrew Baklik, Derby City Finance Director Keith McLiverty, and Courtney George, a labor lawyer.
After the executive session, the officials reconvened in public and voted on a motion that referenced a “proposed separation package.”
The motion gave Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan to include “in a proposed separation package” monthly payments from the city to Cesaroni’s health insurance until Dec. 31, 2020.
Cesaroni
The Aldermen & Alderwomen then thanked Cesaroni for her work in Derby.
“It’s hard to find employees that stick around that long, so, once again, thank you Denise,” Alderman Charles Sampson said.
Settlement agreements — even ones polluted by improper confidentiality clauses — are public documents in Connecticut. In 2015, The Valley Indy won a Freedom of Information complaint against the City of Ansonia for attempting to keep a separation agreement secret.
The Valley Indy asked the Derby mayor’s office for a copy of the separation agreement Tuesday morning. The Valley Indy also sent an email to Cesaroni seeking comment.
Vin Marino said the separation agreement is still being negotiated and is in the process of being created. He said it will be made available to the public as required by state law when it is ready.
The state’s Freedom of Information Act does not force the disclosure of material as it is being formulated.
Cesaroni has been the city’s tax collector since June 2012.
She has been credited by three administrations over the years for her work, including arranging the sale of properties whose owners had stopped paying taxes.
In 2010 she walked 39 miles to raise money for breast cancer research.
In 2012, she played a key role in uncovering information that alleged a clerk in the tax office was mishandling money and manipulating data. Click here for a previous story.
