‘It’s absolutely useless’

Does Mayor Ganim need a liaison to fill in for him at events?

BRIDGEPORT — For nearly three years Carolyn Vermont filled in for Mayor Joe Ganim at various events and dealt with a host of issues as his full-time community liaison.

Now that Vermont has been named Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County’s new chief executive officer, questions are being raised about the future of her $80,000-peryear liaison position and whether it is one Ganim aide too many.

Complicating matters is the fact Vermont has not made a complete break from her municipal employment. She confirmed she is still doing some limited appearances for the mayor’s office and getting paid for it, likening the situation to being a consultant.

“I do fulfill a few hours over some weekends with the city while still fully engaged in my role at Habitat,” Vermont explained Friday in a brief text exchange with Hearst Connecticut Media.

As for how much longer that arrangement will last, Vermont wrote back, “Maybe a staff member (for Ganim) can answer that. I have not been in that office since starting at Habitat so I am not privy to any conversations.”

The mayor, whose salary is $159,000, did not answer questions about Vermont and the future of her position Friday.

“I think we definitely need to look at that,” said Councilman Scott Burns, a budget committee co-chairman, who suggested Vermont’s role instead be filled with someone who could focus on marketing Connecticut’s largest city.

“Somebody who can ‘sell’ the city ... to share what’s going on positively,” Burns said. “If we’re going to have some sort of outreach or publicity-type position, it ought to be directed more in that way.”

Others on the budget committee like council members Jorge Cruz and Jeanette Herron said they and their 18 council colleagues serve as a connection between residents and their local government.

“While she (Vermont) was there she did a great job,” Herron said. “But we have a council to do community outreach.”

“He should not fill that position again,” Cruz said. “It’s absolutely useless.”

He instead wants the $80,000 salary to go for other needs, such as more social services for residents.

Despite the reservations about renewing the position, it was the council, not the mayor, that in spring, 2018 established what was then a $70,000-per-year liaison role when crafting that year’s municipal budget. Council President Aidee Nieves at the time likened the job to the role that Lamond Daniels had under Ganim’s predecessor, fellow Democrat Bill Finch.

“He was the ‘boots on the ground’ person,” Nieves had recalled of Daniels.

And so in November, 2018 Ganim announced he had hired Vermont, a wellknown volunteer, community and political activist and former local NAACP head who had recently lost a bid for state Senate. Vermont earlier that year had unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Town Committee’s nomination to represent the 23rd state Senate District in the legislature. The committee instead chose Dennis Bradley, who was arrested this past May for allegedly attempting to fraudulently obtain $179,850 in state campaign grants for his 2018 campaign.

City budget documents show that the liaison’s salary started at just over $70,000 in 2018 and this past spring budget season was increased by the mayor and council to $80,000 from $74,285.

When Habitat for Humanity announced Vermont had joined that entity in August, the press release cited her “deep connection to the community, her naturally magnetic personality and her commitment to our organization” plus her work providing “consulting services in a range of areas including government relations, community engagement, ethics, nonprofit board development, violence prevention, conflict resolution and leadership.”

In a statement included in Habitat’s August announcement Vermont said she has volunteered there “for many years” and the organization is “near and dear to my heart.”

Approached Friday for comment on Vermont’s tenure in his administration and whether he will replace her, Ganim in a text responded that he had referred the questions to another aide — his communications director, Rowena White.

Besides White and her staff, the mayor also has on his payroll Gina Malheiro, whose duties have, like Vermont’s and his communications office, involved some form of public outreach and interaction. Malheiro has done work as Ganim’s events coordinator.

Councilman Matthew McCarthy, who also sits on the budget committee, said he saw some value in Ganim

using a liaison. He said Vermont “went to tons of stuff” and “the mayor can’t be everywhere for all these events.”

“It’s probably better as a part-time position so we don’t have to pay health insurance and fringe benefits for it,” McCarthy said.

“I think she (Vermont) did an excellent job. I think people just didn’t really understand the role of what it was,” said Councilman Ernie Newton, a budget committee co-chairman who had initially questioned Ganim’s choice of Vermont in 2018. “The mayor’s only one person. (He) can’t be at everything. And you need representation.”

Nieves said she would like the duties restructured so that a new hire, rather than fielding all of the requests Ganim’s office receives for personal appearances, would be more proactive in trying to engage with various constituencies, particularly those that feel ignored by City Hall.

“The responsibilities should be changed to do more outreach to bring in those that are still struggling with having a voice at the table,” Nieves said. “People continually say they don’t have access to the mayor’s office.”