Council Member Welcomes Independent Search for Bridgeport Personnel Chief

Bridgeport launched a search for a permanent personnel director on Tuesday following questions over the appointment process.

Last month, concerns emerged regarding Mayor Joe Ganim’s role in the return of long-time local Democratic leader and former municipal employee Thomas McCarthy to fill the vacancy. The job is supposed to operate independently of the mayor’s office and of Bridgeport politics, the Connecticut Post reported.

At the time, the Ganim administration maintained that McCarthy, who currently serves as the interim personnel chief via an appointment by the Civil Service Commission, would eventually be required to vie for the position.

Chief Administrative Officer Thomas Gaudett successfully suggested at a Tuesday Civil Service Commission meeting that members initiate that search. The group quickly agreed and voted to move forward with having the city hire an outside consultant.

Due to his status as commission staff and his intention to seek the position, McCarthy was present but left the room while that specific matter was discussed. Rather than McCarthy, Assistant Personnel Director Lisa Mastronunzio will collaborate with the consultant.

Mastronunzio told commission members she will not apply for the top spot. Ultimately, the Civil Service Commission will make the final hiring decision.

“This is your process,” Gaudett emphasized at Tuesday’s meeting, according to the Connecticut Post.

In July, then-Personnel Director Eric Amado left his post to lead human resources for the Fairfield school district. In mid-September, Ganim’s office announced McCarthy would assume that role starting Oct. 13.

The news was notable for a few reasons. A prominent community figure within Bridgeport’s Democrat-led political scene, McCarthy sat on the 20-person City Council from 2001 until he retired from elected office in 2017, serving as the president of that legislative body for the final 10 years.

Additionally, McCarthy had spent 16 years in the Bridgeport labor relations office before a disagreement with Ganim led to his departure. Though both are Democrats, when the latter ran for mayor in 2015, Ganim had agreed with critics who complained council members should not also hold municipal jobs.

Following Ganim’s victory, McCarthy retained legal counsel and secured an undisclosed severance agreement with the administration in early 2016. McCarthy left Bridgeport’s payroll and went to work for New Haven, then Trumbull, before publicly supporting Ganim’s reelection by 2019.

When the mayor announced in September that McCarthy would replace Amado, the official statement failed to mention his interim status or the requirement for a competitive, independently managed process. This triggered anxiety among some City Council members, who feared Ganim was bypassing regulations to install a preferred candidate who could sway hiring practices.

“I think it’s crucial this position has independence from the mayor’s office.”

freshman Council member Galen Murray said at that time.

“There’s a general perception in the city that government jobs are handed out as a form of political patronage.”

Galen Murray

McCarthy had responded to those concerns directly. “I wouldn’t be here unless they were following the rules. I wouldn’t accept it if it was wrong,” McCarthy told the Connecticut Post.

Murray expressed satisfaction this week upon learning that an independent search is proceeding, characterizing the move as a step in the right direction.

“And I certainly welcome Tom McCarthy as a qualified candidate to apply for that.”

Murray said, adding, “My hope is that continues to move forward, by the books, so we can continue to have confidence in whoever is selected for that permanent hire.”