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04/17/2013 12:00 AMNORTH BRANFORD - Town Hall was in transition early this week. Interim Town Manager Bonnie Therrien, who officially ended her duties April 12, returned for a few days to help new Town Manager Mike Paulhus get up to speed with the 2013-'13 proposed Town Budget.
Paulhus was officially hired during a special Town Council meeting on March 26. The choice was made easier for the council due to Paulhus's past experience as North Branford interim town manager, a post he held from December 2007 to May 2008. During his tenure in North Branford, Paulhus managed two municipal renovation and expansion projects: the $36 million renovation to North Branford Intermediate School and the $4.5 million renovation to the Edward Smith Library.
Most recently a financial advisor with RBC Wealth Management of Hartford (from September 2008 to this March), Paulhus was first selectman of the Town of Windham, an elected position, from 2001 to 2007. Prior to that, he was the Town of Windham's executive administrator (1994 to 2001). He currently lives in Willimantic.
Last Friday, Therrien ended nine months of interim town manager duties for the town, a role she took on in July 2012. Therrien took over a post left vacant after the town reached a resignation consensus with former town manager Richard Branigan. One of Therrien's first policy changes was to produce a weekly management report, which she sent out to all town department heads as as well members of the press and public every Friday.
"It's been a good experience," Therrien told The Sound, as her last day on the job drew to a close April 12. "The staff is very dedicated; the council is very supportive. We went through two major storms in nine months and everybody on the staff did an awesome job."
Therrien said she spent last Friday morning meeting with Paulhus and all of the town's department heads and would be back for a few days early this week specifically to assist Paulhus with any needed proposed budget information.
Therrien said she believes many residents in town now recognize the breadth of the 2013-'14 budget proposal being considered by the Town Council. In her March budget presentation to the Town Council, Therrien emphasized the need to consider a nine percent tax increase in order to get the town moving in a positive direction with an eye toward improving its economic viability and maintaining and improving important infrastructure.
North Branford's mill rate has not increased in two years. Its Grand List is not growing and currently 80 percent of its property tax revenue is residential-based. Last year, the Town Council approved a budget with a zero percent increase.
"I know it's hard for the council," said Therrien of the 2013-'14 budget decision the council is facing. A Town Council budget workshop was set for April 16 (after press time).
On April 12, Therrien officially said goodbye to residents and those she has worked with and come to know here, issuing a brief letter (see page 10 ). In it, Therrien said North Branford and Northford "have so much potential to become a shining star of Connecticut."