News Brief: Mayor Appoints New Retirement Board

Mayor Joseph M. Polisena appointed five of seven members to a newly-formed Retirement Advisory Board during a ceremony on April 21 at the .

"Thank you for accepting this appointment and serving on possibly the most important board or commission in the town," Polisena said in introducing the board members. A sixth board appointee was on vacation and could not attend the ceremony, the mayor added.

He gave the new members the goal of addressing a system that "for years operated with no rules, with no guidelines, with no protocols, and most importantly, with no concern for the taxpayers."

Polisena also estimated that the current system has "eight to 10 years of sustainability — after that, the well will run dry."

No representative of IAFF Local 1950, the firefighters union, attended the meeting.

Town Solicitor William Conley explained that after the union suggested Joseph Andriole to be their representative, the town notified the union that since he is retired, Andriole can not serve on the pension board.

"We did receive correspondence that they intend to legally challenge the town's ability to require that a member of the (pension) committee be an active member of the local," Conley said.

Following a brief swearing-in ceremony, the five members present called their first meeting to order and chose its officers, including Joseph DiCarlo as new Chairman.