LTE: Questions Over Filling Of Interim Post In Fairfield

The following Letter to the Editor is by Fairfield resident Evan Snapper:

Dear Editor,

I am writing to express serious concerns about First Selectman Bill Gerber’s recent hiring of David Becker as the Interim Chief Financial Officer for Fairfield. Becker's family company, The Becker Companies, holds landscaping contracts with the town, creating an undeniable conflict of interest as he advises on budget matters affecting the same town his family's business serves.

Further troubling details include Becker's unprecedented $170,000 salary as Interim CFO, despite lacking CPA certification or other relevant qualifications, as required by the Town Charter. His family's contracts with the town amount to $375,000. These facts raise questions about Mr. Gerber’s decision-making process behind this appointment.

Worse, at a Board of Selectmen meeting, Mr. Gerber allowed Becker to propose a budget adjustment to divert $2 million from crucial Rooster River flood mitigation efforts and re-allocate them to fund among other things, a slate sidewalk replacement project in Becker’s Southport neighborhood. This move prioritizes personal connections over the broader community's interests.

Sincerely,
Evan Snapper
Fairfield, CT