Dawn Norton, interim finance director for Bridgeport, has been appointed chief financial officer for the Town of New Canaan. April 27 is scheduled to be her last day on the job in Bridgeport.
The New Canaan Board of Selectmen unanimously approved the hiring of Norton Tuesday morning. No doubt going from the turbulent world of city government to upscale New Canaan is a welcome change for Norton as First Selectman Rob Mallozzi is quoted in the New Canaan News:
“Talk about a person that cannot wait to come to New Canaan. She is working presently in Bridgeport with three different unions within the office. So she is going to come into an environment here that will be a lot easier to work with in terms of the dynamics of personnel issues and that should make her even more effective as a chief financial officer. I couldn’t be more happy.”
City employees provide mixed reviews on Norton. Some describe her as bright, hard working and a tough taskmaster who puts in long hours. No word from Bridgeport City Hall about Norton’s replacement. She has a master’s degree in management from Albertus Magnus College in New Haven.
As city finance chief, Norton supervises the revenue side of the city budget including tax collections and tax assessment departments. The budget is built by Tom Sherwood, director of the Office of Policy and Management, who handles the spending side.
Norton is the second city official to recently announce a resignation for another municipality. Ed Lavernoich, the city’s deputy director of development, has accepted the development directors job in Trumbull.
New Canaan News article here.
Don’t let the door hit you in your ass on the way out!!!
New Canaan’s loss
Bridgeport’s gain
Yes!
As far as I am concerned this is a good thing for Bridgeport. I found her to be uncooperative and not friendly at all. Does a degree in management make one a financial wiz?
One down, one to go.
Here here … a little decorum. No need to talk trash. Even in the wake of trash being emptied out of Bridgeport. What will SHERWOOD do?
That’s simple, cc. Sherwood will take over the Finance Dept. He is drooling just thinking about it. Total control at last.
That’s the nicest thing I’ve heard Andy say in years …
Well, the checks still have Feeney’s signature on them …
It was observed early in the history of man’s maritime achievements, rats would sense the sinking of a ship before anyone else would realize it and make for safety and land. They would appear out of the bilges and run across the decks in a thundering herd as the ship settled. The metaphor indicates people are bailing on the situation like rats do when the ship sinks.
No wonder she had a Mona Lisa smile on her face at the B&A meeting. Places to go. People to see. Let her try throwing the word “audacity” at New Canaan taxpayers and see what happens.
I guess New Canaan did not look at her Bridgeport work product this year. Genuinely hope she meets their expectations. And that would mean she “played down” to be part of this administration. Lots of human and fiscal waste in the City.
Sign of a “sinking fiscal ship?” Can’t tell. But based on reports from the CAFR this year the Total Liabilities of the City continue to exceed $1.6 Billion while the assets of the City are some $500 Million less. The important difference is we do not have to pay the liabilities immediately. Do we hear the Mayor’s Office is dealing with Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) to diminish its impact, today and into the future. Mayor Finch??? Time will tell.
That’s more like it!!!
They will only deal with OPEB when Stafstrom convinces them again the only way to deal with this is to bond for the expense. Cha-ching.
I take back all those horrible things I said about Dawn not knowing what she was doing. I guess it just took her a lot longer than expected to leverage her time in Bridgeport to a cushier job in the ‘burbs.
She had a nasty attitude.
Gotta agree with Carolanne on this one.
New Canaan’s loss is Bridgeport’s gain.
Uh oh … Norton is my mother’s maiden name. My grandfather was a dean of economics and business at CCNY and other universities.
newman.baruch.cuny.edu/digital/2001/history/book/chap_02/scarsdale_inquirer.htm
From everybody’s comments, it doesn’t look like she’s a New England Norton.
*** Don’t know the lady but if it turns out a gain for Bpt so be it. If not, good luck to her and the town of New Canaan! As the old BEACON2 would say, “time will tell.” ***
So, Ms. Norton is leaving for the ‘burbs. Good. Who will take her place? Let me guess: a friend of Mario Testa.
DJ Speedy Gonzalez has arrived and we gonna get this goodbye Norton party started with an appropriate classic:
www .youtube.com/watch?v=put0KLV5gmE