At Tuesday’s meeting, Milford City Council approved the contract for the new city manager, who is still noted in documents as “Candidate #2.” According to current City Manager Mark Whitfield, this is an evergreen contract, similar to what the chief of police received when she came on board.
“The salary, as approved at the last meeting, is $195,000, and insurance are all standard that every employee has, except insurance, which is $1 million in coverage rather than two times salary,” Whitfield said. “Vacation and sick time is, again, commensurate with someone starting with 30 years’ experience. Vehicle allowance is $500 a month. Moving expenses is $22,500, which is reimbursable, so there must be receipts to back that up.”
Retirement and deferred comp is the same as other employees, along with general business expenses. Whitfield explained it was common for city manager contracts to include the costs of civic organizations that the city manager must join in order to represent the city. Severance is a six-month package, and if the employee decides to resign, he would have to give 90 days’ notice. Candidate #2 has a tentative start date of August 4, 2025. Councilman Dan Marabello asked if these were similar to what Whitfield signed.
“No, it isn’t. I mean, in my package is the car allowance, and I can say it is a lot more,” Whitfield said. “I tallied up, and I drive probably 500 miles a month in my car, and I get a $200 a month allowance,” Whitfield said. “I’m just based on the IRS reimbursement, and I’m pretty sure I’m losing money on that, but that is the contract I signed, and I lived with it. In terms of the vacation time and everything else, it is pretty much standard of what I get.”
Councilwoman Lori Connor asked what other employees received for vehicle allowances, and Whitfield replied that they received $200 a month. He also stated that the amount had not changed since 2016. Connor asked if that meant everyone was now going to get $500, and Whitfield said it would need to be on a case-by-case basis, but suggested the new city manager and finance director look at those figures.
“I would concur with the comments of Councilwoman Lori that if we have not looked at the car allowance for employees since 2016, when we get to budget hearings, we should speak about it at that point,” Councilman Jason James said.
Councilwoman Madula Kalesis, who has been outspoken against the salary received by the new city manager, commented about the benefits in the contract.
“I just want to point out that at the minimal $195,000 the new city manager will be getting along with this $22,000 moving expense and the extra $250 [car allowance] that no one else is getting, he will be making $222,000 and that does not include any raises,” Kalesis said. “In the first year, the first year.”
Whitfield reminded council that the moving expenses were reimbursable, so the new manager would need to spend that much to move to Milford in order to receive the full amount. Kalesis stated that she just wanted to “put it out there for everyone to hear what the potential is without raises for a first-year salary.” James stated that those benefits were not salary, but reimbursed expenses. Connor asked how the amount for moving expenses was determined.
“It says those items you can submit that are reimbursable, so any moving, house hunting expenses, traveling back and forth, moving the cars back and forth, those kind of things, but it has to be reimbursable,” Whitfield said.
Connor asked if the $22,500 was standard and if the city had paid those expenses before.
“The last time we went through this was when Eric Norenberg was hired here,” Whitfield said. “His reimbursable expenses were $16,500. I simply looked at inflation and came up with $22,500. In talking with the recruiter, he said $20,000 to $25,000 was standard for moving expenses more than 500 or 600 miles. We went in the middle and said $22,500, and the candidate accepted that number. Closing costs are not included in those costs.”
A motion was made and seconded to accept the contract for the new manager. The vote passed four to three, with Kalesis abstaining. Connor, along with Councilmen Michael Stewart and Danny Perez voted no. Councilman Marabello and James, along with Councilwomen Nadia Zychal and Katrina Wilson voted yes.
