Cromwell Council Unanimously Approves $160,000–$190,000 Town Manager Salary Range
Town Council · Meeting of July 27, 2026
Cromwell sets $160,000–$190,000 salary range as town manager search moves toward posting. The Town Council voted unanimously Monday at a special meeting to approve three sets of recruitment parameters for the position, including the advertised pay band, an amended job description, and discretionary relocation and travel reimbursements for applicants. Council member Jamin DeProto made the salary motion; Brian Bonneau seconded it.
The job description was also amended to elevate experience in labor relations, advising elected officials, and managing complex government operations from preferred to minimum qualifications, and to add grant research success as a preferred qualification. Resident James Rood, of 25 High Ridge Road, noted during public comment that three director-level town positions already earn $164,727 — only 3.1 percent below the new salary floor of $160,000.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 1,214 words
Source: the Town Council meeting of July 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
The Full Article
Call to Order and Citizen Comment
The Cromwell Town Council convened a special meeting at 5 p.m. on July 27, 2026, in Town Hall Council Chambers. The session had a single substantive agenda item: establishing the recruitment parameters — salary, benefits, job description, and related employment terms — to be submitted to a hiring vendor for the town manager search.
One member of the public spoke before the council moved to its business. James Rood, of 25 High Ridge Road, addressed the council for roughly 90 seconds, urging careful attention to how the compensation package is calibrated against existing town salaries. Rood noted that three director-level positions whose occupants report directly to the town manager are currently budgeted at $164,727 for the current fiscal year — a figure that sits only 3.1 percent below the then-proposed $170,000 salary floor. His implicit concern: a starting salary too close to what direct reports already earn could undermine organizational hierarchy or discourage strong candidates. "We need to be able to attract and retain the best candidate possible," he told the council.
A brief exchange followed about a separate public inquiry on social media: a resident had asked for a copy of the current town manager job description. The mayor and at least one council member agreed that the town charter, rather than any prior job description, most accurately defines the position. The mayor indicated he would provide the charter section in response.
The Decision to Enter Executive Session
Background: The agenda had listed executive session as contingent — "if necessary" — on the grounds that compensation discussions for a prospective employee and a potential employment contract are among the categories of personnel matters that Connecticut law permits a public body to handle in private session.
After the mayor opened the town manager search item in general session, the HR Director — identified in the transcript only as Ginger — recommended proceeding directly into executive session given the content of the discussion. The mayor concurred, offering a public assurance that whatever the council ultimately voted on would be published for public review and that all formal votes would occur in open session.
The mayor then indicated that the Finance Director, the HR Director, and the incumbent Town Manager would join the council in executive session. Council member Al Waters moved to enter executive session; council member Jamin DeProto seconded. The vote was unanimous with no opposition or abstentions recorded. The council relocated across the hall and remained in private session until 6:07 p.m.
Return from Executive Session and Salary Vote
At 6:07 p.m., DeProto moved to come out of executive session; council member Waters seconded. The vote was unanimous. The mayor noted the council had discussed strategy and moved immediately to formal action.
The question before the body: what salary range should be advertised in the town manager job posting.
DeProto moved to set the salary range at $160,000 to $190,000. Bonneau seconded. The motion carried unanimously. No member spoke on the record against the range or offered an amendment, though the choice of floor — $160,000 versus the $170,000 figure Rood had cited in public comment — represents a $10,000 downward adjustment that broadens the advertised band on the lower end.
Job Description: Minimum and Preferred Qualifications
The council next took up a proposed job description document. The mayor summarized it for public viewers rather than reading it in full, noting it includes a job summary written to mirror the relevant town charter language, a list of 15 essential functions, minimum qualifications, and preferred qualifications.
Two substantive amendments had been developed — apparently during or after the executive session — and were incorporated into the motion
First, a set of qualifications previously listed as preferred would be moved to the minimum qualifications category. These include experience advising elected or senior-level officials, fostering collaborative labor and community relations, and managing complex government operations. Elevating these from preferred to minimum means candidates who lack them can be screened out rather than merely ranked lower — a meaningful tightening of the applicant pool.
Second, grant research and demonstrated grant success would be added to the preferred qualifications. This addition signals a council interest in a town manager who can actively pursue external funding, not merely manage existing revenue streams.
Waters moved to adopt the amended proposal; DeProto seconded. The vote was unanimous with no discussion on the record following the motion.
The mayor declined to read the full job description aloud, noting it would be posted publicly. He had referenced a social media request from a resident earlier in the meeting and indicated the document would be accessible after the session.
Benefits: Relocation and Travel Reimbursement
The third formal action covered benefits. The council voted to approve relocation reimbursement and applicant travel reimbursement, both at the discretion of the Town Council. The motion was made by DeProto and seconded by Bonneau; it carried unanimously with two audible ayes on the record during the vote.
No specific dollar caps for either reimbursement category were set on the record. The council discretion language preserves flexibility to negotiate these terms with individual finalists rather than committing to a fixed figure in the posting.
Staff Recognition and Adjournment
Before adjourning, the mayor offered public thanks to the HR Director, identified by first name as Ginger, describing the recruitment materials she prepared as "very impressive" and acknowledging that the presentation to the council represented her first major presentation in that role. No other staff were individually recognized on the record.
DeProto moved to adjourn at 6:10 p.m.; Waters seconded. The council adjourned unanimously.
Town Council members present (all seven members appear to have been present based on motion-making and voting references, though individual roll call was not recorded on the public record): - Al Waters, Member — made multiple motions - Jamin DeProto, Member — made multiple motions and seconds - Brian Bonneau, Member — seconded multiple motions - James Demetriades, Member — present; individual statements not attributed on transcript - Jack Henehan, Member — present; individual statements not attributed on transcript - Paula G. Luna, Member — present; individual statements not attributed on transcript - Anne Hulick, Member — present; individual statements not attributed on transcript
No members recorded as absent.
Staff in attendance: - HR Director (first name Ginger; surname not stated in transcript or documents) — presented recruitment materials and recommended executive session - Finance Director (name not stated in transcript) — invited into executive session - Town Manager (name not stated in transcript) — invited into executive session
Public commenters: - James Rood, 25 High Ridge Road, Cromwell — spoke during citizen comment period on salary range and direct-report salary comparisons
Town Charter — cited by council members as the authoritative source defining the town manager's roles and responsibilities; recommended to a resident seeking a job description comparison Town Manager job description document — draft prepared by HR staff, summarized by the mayor; 15 essential functions listed; to be posted publicly following the meeting Unnamed hiring vendor — the entity to which the approved recruitment parameters will be submitted; not named in the transcript or agenda