Readsboro Argues Over Pay, Positions

By Jen Thomas - March 17, 2008
iBerkshires Staff

Photo by Charlotte Clark

READSBORO, Vt. — A new wage structure for the town clerk was one of several issues that sparked heated debate between frustrated townspeople and members of the Select Board at last week's reorganization meeting.

The changing of the process by which the town pays the town clerk elicited protests from several residents. Annette Caruso, the newly re-elected clerk, protested to the possibility of not receiving at least $15,000 to $16,000 per year for the 12-hour-a-week job, a figure she said the board promised her at Town Meeting.

"You made a promise and you made it sound like there was not going to be a pay cut, so we voted to approve it. A promise is a promise," said meeting attendee Rodney Caruso, referring to Article 10 of the warrant, which asked the town to transfer the clerk's pay structure from one that included fees to one that was based on a fixed salary.

Select Board members Charlotte Clark and Raymond Eilers said they were trying to be fair when considering the pay for the clerk, insisting it was in no way an intentional action against Caruso.

"We did this before we knew [Caruso was] going to be re-elected," said Clark. "In everything we're doing, we're trying to be fair."

Husband Stays Silent

New board member and the clerk's husband, Anthony Caruso, remained silent on the issue but Eilers voiced annoyance after more than 20 minutes of back-and-forth discussion, saying the town needed to keep a close eye on exactly how much elected officials are paid.

"All jobs are set by salary and how many hours you work, I don't care where you are, except for Readsboro," said Eilers. "There is a real world and there's a Readsboro world and it's not right."

After an executive session, the board voted to pay Caruso a yearly salary of $14,820.

Several other issues fired up the townspeople, including naming former Select Board Chairman Theodore "Teddy" Hopkins as an additional clerk to the board. According to Clark, the more people involved in supporting the board, the better, especially with the extra work anticipated for grant-writing and other financial matters expected in the coming year.

"Teddy is a wealth of information. He's got the knowledge and the skills to get the stuff done that we need to get done," said Clark.

Saying the proposal sounded like "sneaky stuff," Rodney Caruso asked why Hopkins was conveniently the first choice for the new role.

"If the townspeople wanted Teddy involved, wouldn't we have voted him in again?" he asked.

Hopkins did not stand for re-election; a write-in campaign won him 100 votes but not enough to return him to the board.

Clark said the question was another example of the rift in town that pits residents against one another with an us-versus-them mentality.

"If people started thinking about the betterment of the town instead of their personal opinions, this town would run more smoothly," she said.

Treasurer Resigns

Tuesday night also saw the appointment of a new town treasurer, following the resignation of Jody Berard-Kemp two days after her election to the position.

In a letter to the board, Berard-Kemp said, "I'm sorry to inform you that I will have to resign from town treasurer. I need a job that will pay a lot more than this job does. I want to thank the townspeople for voting for me."

Berard-Kemp had also run for the town clerk post but was unable to defeat incumbent Caruso.

"This probably was the shortest-lived elected official in town history," said Clark.

The town began accepting applications for the position on Thursday and had three candidates for the post at Tuesday's meeting. According to Clark, a quick decision was necessary to ensure the town's financial affairs were kept in working order.

"Without a treasurer, we can't pay our bills, we can't pay employees. Our hands are tied," she said.

When an elected official resigns, the board has the authority to select a replacement until the next regularly scheduled or special Town Meeting, when the item must be placed on the warrant.

After careful consideration of the candidates, the board announced that Karen Boisvert would assume the duties of treasurer, effective immediately.

"It's good to see someone get in there who wants to actually keep the job," Clark said.

In other business, Eilers was elected chairman and Clark vice chairman. Rodney Caruso volunteered for the position of pound keeper/dog catcher after Carl Moon asked to not be reinstated to the job.