Careless Mistake… or a Calculated Move?

While most of Pomfret was enjoying the holiday season, something else was quietly happening behind the scenes.

During Christmas week—while I was away on our annual Christmas cruise—the Board of Finance filled a vacant seat. If this is the first you’re hearing about it, that’s not surprising. The meeting wasn’t publicly noticed. There was no agenda posted. No clear announcement. No transparency.

And yes—that matters.

I monitor the town website and public notices closely. I have all year. What’s become painfully clear is that notices seem to appear selectively. But FOIA laws aren’t selective. They’re very clear: meetings must be publicly noticed, agendas must be posted, minutes must be taken, and votes must occur in public.

So how did I even learn this meeting happened?

A friend of mine—who was interviewing for the vacancy—told me. She had seen the position advertised on social media and in the newspaper and applied through the proper channels. She was contacted for a private interview and told there was one other candidate.

That alone raised eyebrows.

Why? Because this wasn’t just any applicant. This is someone who ran in the most recent election for the Board of Finance. She didn’t hide her interest. She stood up publicly. And 598 Pomfret residents voted for her.

The person who was ultimately appointed, on the other hand, never sought endorsement, never petitioned for the ballot, and showed no interest during an aggressive election cycle—despite multiple Board of Finance seats being available.

Many residents have said what seems obvious: when there’s a vacancy, the person who earned substantial public support at the ballot box should be strongly considered. But that’s not how town politics work—at least not here.

There is a proper legal process, though.

The town must publicly announce the vacancy, call a properly noticed special meeting, and allow executive session only for interviews. The meeting must open and close in public. Discussion and voting must happen in public. A roll-call vote must be taken in public.

Public. Public. Public.

None of that happened here.

The candidate was not invited to remain for discussion or the vote. She was not provided an agenda. The public received no notice. I personally checked the town website repeatedly—up through the day of the interviews. Nothing appeared.

Two days later, she received an email saying someone else was selected.

This wasn’t the first time this happened to her. It was the second—by the same board, using the same process. Actually the third time it's happened, but once with another board modeling this same sort of behavior. No wonder we have residents who feel like vacancies are filled illegally around here, because they are.

Let that sink in.

This is someone who is more than qualified. Someone who has consistently demonstrated interest for over two years. Yet the vacancy continues to be filled in a way that violates the law.

What makes this even more troubling? We had not one—but two FOIA trainings offered locally at the end of the year. There is no excuse for not knowing the rules. Which leaves one uncomfortable conclusion:

This wasn’t a mistake. It was intentional.

As a friend, I was angry.

As a taxpayer and resident of Pomfret, I was disgusted.

So on December 19, I submitted a formal FOIA request seeking all documentation and communications related to this “special meeting”—a meeting that was only labeled as such after the fact. To date, I’ve received no acknowledgment.

And this isn’t an isolated incident.

Other boards have filled vacancies the same way. Quietly. Improperly. Illegally.

So consider this a notice: the people of Pomfret are paying attention now. We are done accepting backroom business and selective transparency.

I’m grateful for the FOIA trainings I’ve attended because they’ve allowed me to better understand the law and better serve this community. What I find ironic is that some town leaders have taken to social media, private email, and our town's paper to “school” me—telling me what I can and can’t do—while simultaneously violating the very laws they claim to understand.

I was told to take the trainings. I did.And what I found were major holes in how our town is being run—by veteran leadership.

That doesn’t sit well with me.

Maybe it’s time for mandatory FOIA training for all town leadership.

Just a thought.