At a meeting on Jan. 25, members of the Bremen Budget Committee, in their capacity as an advisory board, recommended that the Bremen Board of Selectmen look into creating an official job description for selectmen that would allow the town to dock pay from selectmen who do not satisfactorily perform their duties.
“There are duties that need to be fulfilled, and if you’re not fulfilling them, you shouldn’t get paid,” said Lisa Wilson, chairman of the Bremen Budget Committee.
The selectmen said they will look into the matter with Maine Municipal Association and the town’s lawyer and likely address it at their next meeting, Feb. 3.
The job description would likely outline a minimum level of attendance at meetings and describe a selectman’s expectations in regard to specific jobs assigned by the board.
Wilson and the budget committee were explicit that they were speaking in generalities and not addressing any specific selectman’s behavior.
“This isn’t punitive,” Wilson said, “but there should be some system in place to enforce our expectations of a selectman.”
However, when he initially raised the issue, budget committee member Hank Nevins was explicit that he was disappointed with selectman Patrick Ginnaty’s performance this year. Ginnaty was not present at the meeting on Jan. 25, despite a call from Wilson during the meeting to ask if he was coming. Ginnaty was reached at home.
Nevins cited a grant application that Ginnaty failed to complete and submit last year as costing the town $35,000.
Ginnaty, responded to the allegations during a phone interview on Jan. 26. “I’ve attended as many selectmen’s meeting as anyone on the board during my tenure, and I’ve attended as many Budget Committee meetings as any selectmen,” Ginnaty said.
Ginnaty said that on Jan. 25 he was at home babysitting his granddaughter during the meeting.
“Given the choice between fulfilling my obligations to my family and meeting with the Budget Committee, I think I made the right choice,” Ginnaty said.
