The town may soon finally have a new finance director on board, a staff addition long sought by town auditors to implement internal controls and provide fiscal oversight to protect the town from excessive financial risk.

The search to find qualified candidates for the new post of town finance director is nearly done. The screening committee led by town financial consultant Glenn Klocko worked through the weekend on Jan. 16 and 17 to screen and interview candidates. First Selectman Noel Bishop, a member of the group, said the committee is close to agreement on a short list of qualified candidates to recommend for the new post of town finance director.

"The search committee met and is close to making a recommendation," said Bishop. "The preliminary candidate screening is complete."

A joint meeting and executive session of the boards of Selectmen and Finance where the finalists will be interviewed is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 8.

When a candidate is selected-and an annual salary and start date set-Bishop said the Board of Finance then must decide how to fund the salary for the position through June 30, the end of the fiscal year. Since the new finance group falls under the selectmen's department, the salary funds must be assembled from funds remaining in other selectmen's line items or a special appropriation will be needed to fund it.

Budgeted funds for technical services and part-time accounting and clerical help have already been tapped by the boards to pay for the financial consulting services of Glenn Klocko and

Accountemps, reducing the possible funding sources available to fund the part-year salary.

The annual salary range for the post was set by the town at between $58,000 and $68,000 with the actual salary to be set based on the experience and qualifications of the successful candidate.

Bishop hopes a new finance

director could be on board as soon as next month.