The Wilton Town Clerk’s office is now closed to the public on Mondays, after Clerk Jane Farrell said cuts to personnel hours have created an untenable situation.
“We are swamped and unable to keep up with the work flow,” Farrell said during a Select Board meeting on Monday night, the second meeting the board has had in a week regarding staffing the clerk’s office. “It’s not something I want to do, but it’s something I’m being forced into.”
The town clerk/tax collector’s office was among the town departments that the Select Board downsized by about 10 percent, as part of a measure anticipating the loss of revenue coming in this year due to the coronavirus. The department has three employees, including Farrell, who is elected and does not have set hours; Schultz, hired for 35 hours a week, and part-time office assistant Jeannette Vinton, whose hours were reduced to 25 hours per week, eliminating her benefits, which is where the cost savings stems from.
When the board decreased Vinton’s hours, it also increased Schultz’s hours to 40 a week. While Schultz’s increase was intended to leave only a small discrepancy between the hours available before the cuts and after, Farrell said the reality isn’t that simple.
Vinton, no longer receiving insurance through the town, now has to purchase her health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. The cost of insurance if Vinton were to work 25 hours wasn’t economically viable, Farrell said, and Vinton has elected to work 16 hours a week, which puts her in an income bracket that allows her to purchase an insurance package she can afford.
Select Board member Kermit Williams moved during Monday’s meeting to restore Vinton’s hours to 35 hours per week, saying the clerk’s office is busier than ever doing business by phone, online, and through an office drop-box.
“I believe it’s obvious. There’s more work, it’s harder, it takes more time than before COVID,” he said.
William’s motion wasn’t seconded and died on the floor.
Select Board Chair Matt Fish said there were cuts made across the board, including cuts that affected other town personnel, including not filling an empty Police Department position and laying off a Highway Department employee.
“I don’t think it’s fair to say your office can’t take the cut,” Fish said.
Fish said the board had also tried to discuss other solutions, such as moving some processes from the town clerk to other offices to reduce the workload. Fish also suggested the clerk open for in-person service to help streamline the work.
Selectwoman Kellie-Sue Boissonnault agreed, saying there have to be sacrifices made. “Everyone’s going to have to suffer in some manner. That’s just the climate we’re in right now.”
Boissonnault and Fish both stated that the board had authorized Vinton to work 25 hours per week, and it was her choice to work less than that. Boissonnault said if the office could not make it work with Vinton on a 16-hour-per-week schedule, her position should be “refilled or reevaluated.”
Fish directed Town Administrator Paul Branscombe to meet with Vinton and Farrell to discuss the matter further, and said the board would be willing to discuss a compromise if the clerk’s office put forth a proposal for cost savings.
On Tuesday, Farrell confirmed she was moving forward with the decision to close the clerk’s office to the public on Mondays. While staff will be in the office that day, they will use the time to devote to paperwork.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.