City Democrats want Republican Mayor Mark Lauretti to place head building official Elliot Wilson on administrative leave, after he admitted this week that he accepted cash and favors from developers.
Wilson pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of making a false statement to a federal grand jury when it interviewed him as part of a larger investigation into alleged corruption in Shelton.
Lauretti said he sees no reason to remove Wilson from office while the city looks into the matter.
“There are labor laws in place that protect the employee. We have union contracts in place to protect the city and the employee,” Lauretti said. “They just don’t get it.”
David M. Gioiello, the chairman of the Democratic Town Committee, sent out a press release Friday afternoon, calling for a thorough investigation into whether building codes were enforced and what properties were possibly involved in Wilson’s actions.
In court documents, Wilson admitted that for about 10 years, he received items of value, including cash, building supplies and a deal on a car purchase, from developers in Shelton who sought to influence him because of his position.
“While due-process must be followed, to not have at least placed him on administrative leave demonstrates a lack of ethical judgement on the part of the mayor,” Gioiello wrote. “The actions of the building inspector may have placed the CIty and its citizens at risk.”
But Lauretti called the statement just another in a long list of attacks from the Democrats.
“They’ve been accusing me of everything under the sun for the last 18 years,” Lauretti said. “This is nothing new. They have one goal in mind and it’s not the city.”
Lauretti said he expects an investigation into Wilson’s actions to be completed within the next couple of weeks, at which time he will decide whether any action against him should be taken.
State law allows the “chief executive officer” in any town the ability to hire or fire building inspectors. The law gives the building inspector the right to have a public hearing on the matter, in front of “the authority having the power of dismissal.”
The building official then has the right to appeal the termination to Superior Court, according to state law.
