The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Council OKs investigation of mayor
BOE worker: Drew failed to grant raise, solicited campaign donations from her
“This is not a witch hunt — it’s not supposed to be a witch hunt.” Sebastian N. Giuliano, Council minority leader
MIDDLETOWN — The Common Council voted 11-0 Tuesday evening to initiate a $20,000 investigation into a gender discrimination complaint involving Mayor Dan Drew.
The council will now begin a search for a consultant or law firm to conduct the investigation. At issue is a complaint from the school department’s human resource manager charging Drew interfered with and prevented her from getting a salary increase. It was filed with the city’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management.
The complaint alleges the city’s human resources director, Tom Tokarz, is paid a higher salary for a similar position.
Both Drew and the city attorney have denied Michele DiMauro’s accusation.
The middle-management employee union, which represents DiMauro, has filed a separate complaint claiming she has been bombarded with a barrage of donation requests from Drew, who is vying for the Democratic nomination for governor.
Council Majority Leader Thomas Serra said Wednesday the council must now work to find someone “who has absolutely no connection” to the city “in any way, shape or form” to handle the investigation.
Serra acknowledged that launching the investigation is “uncomfortable,” but added, “It had to be done.”
“These are allegations, and I want to
emphasize they are only allegations. In no way are we saying anyone is guilty of anything,” Serra said during a telephone conversation. “Everyone deserves due process.”
He described the proposed investigation as “a fact-finding mission.”
“This is not a witch hunt — it’s not supposed to be a witch hunt,” said Council Minority Leader Sebastian N. Giuliano, a former three-term mayor. “Our job is not to punish or to censure anyone. Our job is to find out what happened and whether the systems work the way they are supposed to, and if not, what tweaks do we have to make to ensure the system does work.”
The motion adopted by the council requires a report within 60 days.
For his part, Drew said DiMauro’s complaint is “a totally baseless accusation.
“The whole thing is spurious and there is nothing to it,” Drew said Wednesday afternoon.
DiMauro was one of four people who asked the Labor and Management Committee to review their jobs and pay, Giuliano said. But while the other three employees received raises, DiMauro did not, he said.
Drew offered a different interpretation of what occurred. Following a review of her complaint, Drew said DiMauro was offered a one-grade increase, which he said was the same given to the other three employees.
Drew said DiMauro and her union rejected the offer and pressed for at least a two-grade increase.
In a report on the council’s proposed action, the Middletown Eye blog said DiMauro had claimed “the mayor and the city attorney prevented a fair assessment on her request to have her job status re-evaluated. She also complained that the mayor made disparaging remarks about her after she filed the complaint,” the Eye said.
“The only ones who can do this is the Common Council,” Giuliano said. Everyone who is involved in the normal complaint process “is answerable directly to the mayor,” he explained.
Although she is employed by the school department, DiMauro reports to the mayor, Giuliano said. “It’s a bit of unique situation,” he said. “Anyone who is not in a state-certified position is in a city classified position.”
Serra said both he and Giuliano had received copies of the twin complaints made to the city’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management, one from DiMauro and a second from the Local 6457 of the United Public Service Employees Union. The latter was signed by three of the union’s officers, Serra said.
With the complaints in hand, Giuliano and Serra took the matter to their respective caucuses, both of which supported conducting an investigation. “We need to find out the truth of the matter,” Serra said.
He acknowledged the council has embarked on “an uncharted course. Never in my career” in local government — which Serra said dates back to 1973 — has he heard of, or been involved in, an investigation of the office of the mayor.
However, Giuliano said he came under investigation 2011 when, as mayor, he ordered the director and assistant head of the Water and Sewer Department to relocate their offices to Town Hall.
Drew previously had come under general criticism from both Democrats and Republicans when it was revealed he had sent letters to the homes of town employees requesting $100 donations for his campaign.
The fact Drew sent the letters to emergency service personal — police and firefighters — was roundly condemned. By state law, those addresses are “masked” — kept private to protect the safety of emergency service personnel.
The state Election Enforcement Commission has begun an investigation into that matter.
Councilwoman Mary Bartolotta was absent from Tuesday’s meeting due to a death in her family. Reporter Jeff Mill covers East Hampton, Portland and Cromwell. Contact him at jeff.mill@hearstmediact.com.