Add Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra’s name to the list of elected officials who didn’t know that Hartford Treasurer Adam Cloud got a $20,000 raise.
WNPR reported on Tuesday that Cloud got a 14 percent raise in November which was retroactive to July. He and city lawyers have suggested the raise was included in the city’s budget. But not one member of the nine-member city council remembers considering, deliberating, or approving the raise. Councilman Ken Kennedy said it looks like Cloud gave himself a raise -- and he's introduced a resolution to rescind it, which includes language that says the raise actually exceeds the allowable pay range.
Meanwhile, Segarra said he didn’t know anything about the raise, either.
Here is part of WNPR's interview with Segarra from Wednesday morning.
WNPR's Jeff Cohen: Was this ever something presented to you by the treasurer?
Segarra: Not that I’m aware of, no.
Cohen: It sounds like what you’re saying is he got a chunk of -- he got his budget and, in that, he, what? Gave himself a raise?
Segarra: I, you know, if council is not aware of it, if council did not take action, and I was not aware of it, well, I guess if he has the -- if he’s in a position to do that, I guess that’s what he did.
Cohen: And what do you think of that?
Segarra: Again, I think it’s the corporation counsel that needs to look at the statute. It doesn’t seem to follow past process in terms of how raises have been dealt with...Sometimes people feel that, based on performance, they’re entitled to an increase. And that might very well be the case. The issue then becomes, can one do that by oneself, or does one need the council and the legislative approval that is required?
Kennedy has introduced a resolution to take the raise back. But his term, and Segarra’s term, come to an end with the new year. And, at least when it concerns this issue, the mayor seemed ready.
“Lucky for me, in some sense, I won’t have to deal with these issues in a week," Segarra said.