It’s all eyes on Lauretti.
That’s how Mayor Mark Lauretti says people are reacting to his request for a bonus last week.
“I just find it interesting that no one seems to care about what other people are doing,” Lauretti said Monday. “Just what I’m doing.”
Laurretti said his request was made mostly to make a point about education spending in town, and across the state. The bonus discussion came up in response to a $10,000 bonus approved for Superintendent Freeman Burr.
Lauretti has questioned the logic, because it came during a tough budget cycle, that resulted in lay-offs and a “pay-to-participate“ sports and activities policy.
On Monday, Lauretti said he’s “more interested in making a point” than getting a bonus.
But, Lauretti said, he deserves one — especially in light of having taken no pay increase last year.
Valley Indy: Mayor Lauretti, we wanted to follow up with you about the bonus discussion.
Lauretti: I’m amazed at all the interest this has gotten. When Freeman Burr got a bonus, there was no interest. No one cared.
Valley Indy: It seemed at first you were trying to make that point. But then the Board of Alderman had a serious discussion about the proposal. Are you just trying to make a point here, or do you really want a bonus?
Lauretti: I’m more interested in making a point. I’ve been at this long enough to know you can’t change the compensation during one’s term. It’s state law. But they do have to set the compensation for the next term for the position of mayor.
Valley Indy: So would you accept a bonus in a future term, if approved by the Board of Aldermen?
Lauretti: It wouldn’t be a bonus, it would be part of a compensation package… I didn’t get a raise last year, because my increase was predicated on the cost of living, which was zero. I think I got a $20 increase. But I just find it interesting that no one seems to care about what other people are doing. Just what I’m doing. Just when it’s about me.
Valley Indy: If put to a referendum of all Shelton residents, do you think a bonus or raise would be approved?
Lauretti: I don’t know the answer to that.
Valley Indy: Do you think it’s appropriate to ask for a raise in this economy?
Lauretti: Obviously the Board of Education thought it was appropriate to give Freeman Burr a bonus. Where was the outrage when they approved his bonus?
Valley Indy: I think some people were upset. It was done in a less public way than you’re doing it. (Click here to view a PDF of the Board of Education minutes from the meeting.
Lauretti: Am I to be criticized because I put things on the table in front of everybody? Because I take positions on things? It’s nuts.
Valley Indy: Would you ask the superintendent to give back his bonus?
Lauretti: No… He gets 18 sick days. If he doesn’t use them, they turn it into cash for him. If you’re on salary, you get paid whether you’re there or not. Why do you need 18 sick days?
Valley Indy: That’s a common feature of superintendent contracts across the state. Is this a larger statement on education spending?
Lauretti: There’s no question about it, that educational funding is focused more on people’s salaries than it is on results. And that’s created by the legislature.
Valley Indy: You’ve made a public point about that, but do you have any suggested solutions?
Lauretti: It’s rooted in state law and it’s got to be solved at that level. If anybody thinks it will ever happen.
Valley Indy: So again, if the Board of Aldermen approved some kind of bonus for the future, would you accept it?
Lauretti: This has never been an issue for me. And it’s not now. When I decided to run for mayor, the pay was only $25,000 a year. That’s not why I got into it. But no one should think I’m going to sit on the sidelines and let people disparage my reputation or my results. Because it’s politics.
Valley Indy: Are you saying the public reaction to the bonus is in some way disparaging your reputation?
Lauretti: I’m just talking about in the course of my job. The investigation after investigation after investigation. When I had a restaurant they filed complaints against the restaurant … My father and wife got parking tickets … The ethics complaints … The list goes on and on.
If there’s somebody else that’s getting more results than me, tell me who it is. If there’s another city that’s getting more results than me, I want to know what that is.
