Assessor placed on leave

Milici’s office subject of investigation by town

EAST HAVEN — Assessor Michael Milici, who has held the job for 31 years, has been placed on administrative leave “pending an investigation,” Town Attorney Michael Luzzi confirmed.

A letter informing Milici of the suspension, obtained by the New Haven Register via a request under the state Freedom of Information Act, states the investigation includes but is “not limited” to “issues relat

ed to claims that employees under your supervision have worked overtime and without being paid in accordance with state and federal law.”

Luzzi would not comment on the reason for Milici being placed on leave, saying it is a personnel matter. Mayor Joe Carfora declined to comment, also citing the personnel matter. Milici did not immediately return calls or texts seeking comment

But the overtime issue came up when Milici spoke last Wednesday night during a virtual Board of Finance budget workshop, making a request for the board to restore a proposed cut that reduced one of three positions in Milici’s office from full-time to part-time, according to a recording of the meeting.

During the meeting, which was recorded by Lorena Venegas, administrator of the East Haven Politics Facebook page, Milici requested that a vacant part-time position in his office, which for years was full-time but was made part-time in the current proposed 2021-22 budget, be made full-time again.

Milici said the other two employees “have been stressed to the limit this year, trying to keep the office up to date. They have both worked additional hours without pay to complete our duties effectively.”

Assistant Director of Administration and Management Michelle Benivegna, who also is the town’s human resources director, said a short time later, according to the recording, that “historically” the position was “a part-time position” that was made fulltime only in 2015.

“As far as the staff morale goes, Mike, I am a little concerned ... about you saying that they’ve been working without getting paid,” Benivegna said, according to the recording. “That’s a conversation that we need to have because this is the first I’m hearing about it.”

Chairman Richard DePalma said to Milici, also according to the recording, “I know you said they were working without getting paid. I know you didn’t really have overtime in that budget. How were we doing it?”

Milici responded, “They just did it because they wanted to get the work done. They didn’t want to make a fuss. They didn’t want to get unions involved,” he said. “The two of them are extremely dedicated individuals. And I myself put hours in myself that I did not charge for. We just wanted to get the work done. We wanted to get it done on time.

“We’re all very diligent about what we do,” Milici said.

Milici earlier told the finance board, reading from a letter he sent members, that the chief assessment clerk and computer operator position, which would be the third full-time staff position in his office, was needed to keep up with the workload.

While the workload was “skewed” this past year because of the coronavirus pandemic, “when the normal office workload is there” the department needs all three positions, Milici said. “The third full-time person is needed to cover the incoming calls and counter traffic with the other clerk,” he said.

Benivegna could not be reached for comment.

The Board of Finance voted preliminarily Monday to recommend that Carfora restore the part-time position to full-time, but still must vote on its full budget recommendation to the mayor when it meets Thursday, said acting Finance Director Jim Keeley.