image description — Michael Wynn has been serving in the acting capacity for nearly a decade.

Tyer Seeking Civil Service Waiver For Police Chief

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
02:48AM / Monday, June 20, 2016Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mayor Linda Tyer says she is "correcting an injustice" by appointing Police Chief Michael Wynn to the job on a more permanent basis within Civil Service parameters.

Wynn has been serving under the "acting" capacity for the last nine years since he was appointed by former Mayor James Ruberto. Tyer is looking to use a provision within the Civil Service Commission to officially give Wynn the title.

"Chief Wynn has been an exemplary chief of police for going on three administrations now without having the very important designation of being officially appointed chief of police," Tyer said.

"I feel strongly that having that appointment gives the chief, whoever that may be, the proper authority and standing in the law enforcement community that is required for a position of that magnitude. I sort of view what I am doing as correcting an injustice."

Opponents of mayoral appointment say using the Civil Service list provides a level of separation between politics and the position, protecting the chief from the whims of a mayor and administration. The Civil Service process has specific provisions for which an employee can be fired, making replacement of the chief a cumbersome task. Police unions support the Civil Service system because it pulls politics out of public safety.

The city's Police Supervisory Union and the Police Patrolmans Union both oppose the process in which Tyer is appointing Wynn. They issued a joint letter on Thursday calling for the hiring process to be open to other candidates. The union says Tyer's plan is a "run around" the process.

"This has always been about the process and never about who is or could be chief. Anything other than that desired process is absolutely unacceptable," the letter reads.

Tyer disagrees. She said Wynn was the top candidate in 2007 when the last exam was given so the job should have been his the entire time.

"It feels to me like Chief Wynn has been asked year after year after year to lead the law enforcement agency in our city and he's done it well. He should have received the appointment in 2007. He was on top of the list. He was the No. 1 candidate," Tyer said. "We have this mechanism to correct an injustice."

She said the city failed to comply with the process then, not now.

"This is the Civil Service process. This is not circumventing Civil Service. This is a unique measure that is available to cities and towns to appeal to the Civil Service Commission for a special order," Tyer said.

Ruberto had also appointed Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski to the job in an acting capacity. Tyer says she doesn't have a plan right now for appointing a more permanent chief there, yet, because her focus is on the Police Department.

"My primary focus, No. 1 priority, is getting the Police Department stabilized, getting it properly staffed with the right new technologies and we can pursue the Fire Department position once we've gotten this," Tyer said.

Tyer is the first mayor is more than a decade to support the Civil Service System. Both Ruberto and former Mayor Daniel Bianchi vocally opposed the process, citing bureaucratic inefficiencies and difficulties in hiring. Tyer says there are aspects of the system those mayors hadn't taken advantage of — such as assessment centers.

"There are alternative ways to use the existing system that haven't been pursued in the past two administrations," Tyer said. "It is the system we have. We have to work within the confines of that system and take advantage of the various features that gives us the best outcomes."

That message may be welcomed by the unions; the three public safety unions opposed a recommendation from a study committee for the city to withdraw the chief positions from the system. The city had gone some 13 years without the system in place for the chiefs until resuming it by special order.

"The purpose of Civil Service is not to tie a mayor's hands in his or her decision-making, but instead to prevent the abuse of position and influence which has been long documented as occurring during periods without it. The department needs the stability of a permanent chief, free from political interference, to focus on the business of public safety and to develop long-term goals for the agency," the unions wrote.

"A politically-appointed chief subject to the whims of a mayor is both disruptive and damaging to the morale of the many fine officers who serve the people of this city."

Tags: acting appointments, civil service, police chief,

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Elder Services Celebrates More Thann 50 Years While Navigating Federal Challenges

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
02:27PM / Sunday, November 01, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Elder Services of Berkshire County celebrated 52 years at its annual meeting Friday.

Guests gathered at the Country Club of Pittsfield to honor service members and hear about healthy aging in the county from keynote speaker Beth Dugan, a gerontology professor at the Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences at University of Massachusetts at Boston.

Executive Director Chris McLaughlin welcomed everyone and recognized community partners and board members. He said the agency is supported by 135 employees and 260 active volunteers who help bring the nonprofit's mission to life.

"As the Aging Services Access Point and Area Agency on Aging for our 32 communities, Elder Services is the trusted resource for older adults and their caregivers, supporting their desire to remain at home safely," he said. "Whether it's a referral to a community resource or to one of our many programs, it's our job to meet people during some of life's most challenging times and to help them find solutions that enable them to remain independent," he said.

McLaughlin said he thought back on last year's meeting where they worried about cuts in federal funding and programs associated with the Trump administration's dismantling of the Administration for Community Living that never materialized. While that did not affect them he raised concern about Medicaid changes expected to take effect in January, including projected reductions in federal funding to Massachusetts and loss of Medicaid eligibility for some consumers because of the implementation of Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill."

"These changes will remove $3.5 billion in federal funding for Massachusetts and Medicaid eligibility for many, including some of our consumers, with disastrous consequences," he said.

Another challenge for the agency was a cap put in place on their enrollment for their home care program.

"Our state Home Care program, our agency's largest program, deploys homemakers, home health aides, and companions to the homes of Berkshire older adults and continues to grow at unprecedented levels," McLaughlin said. "The implementation of a cap on the number of Enhanced Community Options Program consumers we can enroll has basically cut in half the number of individuals we can service in this program. These individuals qualify clinically for nursing home level of care. This cap will remain in effect for the near future."

But they are still looking up for the future.

"We understand more than ever before that in 2027 there will be changes designed to limit state spending for older adults and this will be compounded by even more older adults becoming eligible for our services. We look forward to learning more about how the Rural Health Transformation Program will benefit older adults in Berkshire County. We are of course worried about how MassHealth changes will impact our consumers and whether the Commonwealth will reduce our funding to support those who will lose Medicaid eligibility," McLaughlin said.

"Despite these challenges we remain optimistic about the future and will respond to them as we always do, with purpose and resilience."

The nonprofit also highlighted its successes through the Hospital Liaison Program that works with local hospitals to help older adults return home rather than enter a nursing home. Although its original funding had ended, Berkshire Medical Center secured a grant expected to support the program for another 30 months.

Volunteers also helped more than 4,000 Berkshire residents make Medicare and other health-insurance decisions. One volunteer helped a woman undergoing chemotherapy qualify for assistance with co-pays and find grants to address an outstanding bill and was able to complete her treatments without the added stress.

The lunch also awarded Elder Services employees. Lauren Larison, Laura Sexton, Jillian Tatro, Christine Barcus, Lisa Jamros, Nichole Pervere, Janet Richardson, Fred Minkle Jr., Karen Decker, Larry Belanger, Diane Cote, and Mary Moran were recognized for five years with Elder Services. Linda Gilardi, Judith Desjardins, and Sara Dastoli were recognized for 15 years with the agency and Bill Marsh and Deb Aldrich-Jegtvig were celebrating 30 years of service.

The meeting included a change in the board with new President Kalee Carmel taking over for Barry Kriesberg, while recognizing Teresa Caldwell on her term ending.

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