Guilford - At most Board of Selectmen meetings, the “Appointments and Resignations” segment of the meeting is usually a shoe-in for the candidates. Whether coming in or going out, the five-member board is most often unanimous in its ruling.
Not so at the Jan. 17 meeting of the BOS when a discussion was raised in the recommendation of the appointment of William “Bill” Dwyer (D) to the Board of Fire Commissioners (BOFC).
Republican Selectman Joseph Mazza began by raising the question of appointing Dwyer to the now five-member BOFC, mainly due to Dwyer's role as an employee of the town and his membership in a union.
“It's nothing personal,” said Mazza, as he explained the potential conflict of interest regarding a town employee, who is a member of a union, on a board representing the town when negotiating contracts for firefighters.
Dwyer, who has been employed in the maintenance department at the town's Public Works Department for 11 years, is a member of the Local 443 Teamsters.
Fellow Republican Selectman Charles “Gene” Bishop concurred with Mazza, saying it was not illegal or against the town rules to do this, but felt more comfortable by not voting.
Both men abstained from the vote, which passed by three favorable votes by First Selectman Carl Balestracci, Selectmen Sal Catardi, and Selectwoman Veronica Wallace, all Democrats.
“Their concern was that I am a town employee and will be overseeing other town employees,” said Dwyer. “When I was on the Board of Education for 12 years and oversaw 500-plus employees, there was never a concern or conflict raised then.”
Dwyer noted that his department and the Fire Department are on different unions and have different pensions and health plans.
“Nothing I could 'give to them' would help me or benefit me in any way,” said Dwyer.
Dwyer said that if members of the Board of Selectmen are concerned about a conflict of interest such as this, it should reach across all boards and commissions.
“The whole thing was much ado about nothing,” Dwyer said. “At the end of the day, I pay taxes, too. I treat everyone fairly.”
In the election of November '05, the town voted favorably to make several changes to the Town Charter including raising the number of members of the BOFC from three to five.
According to the Charter, the BOFC is responsible for the management of the Fire Department and is responsible for the maintenance and care of all apparatus and equipment owned by the town and used by the Fire Department.
In addition, the board sets regulations for the conduct of the Fire Department and makes standards and specifications that are to be followed in the purchase by the town of equipment for the department.
The BOFC is now comprised of Chairman Ken Wilson (R), Barbara Hemming (D), Larry Leete (R), and new members Bill Dwyer (D) and Joe Travaglino (D). Travaglino was appointed to the commission unanimously by the BOS on Jan. 17.
The five member board serves staggered, three-year terms.
Dwyer is looking forward to serving on the BOFC, and feels that his 27 years of labor and budget experience will be an asset to the coard.
Dwyer is a 20-year Guilford resident and former vice chairman of the Democratic Town Committee. He served on the Board of Education for 12 years and on the Parks and Recreation Commission for two years, losing his bid for re-election to the BOE last November.
Although he was one of the higher vote-getters with 3,838 votes, Dwyer did not win a seat on the BOE due to rare circumstances regarding the filling of two vacancies.
Due to a member's death, and the resignation of another, the two-year vacancies were filled first by candidates with the highest votes, regardless of party affiliation.