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The Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) plays a critical role in overseeing the town’s finances, ensuring transparency and accountability in fiscal decisions. Among its responsibilities, the BET hires and manages two vital positions: the Comptroller and the Assessor. Unfortunately, the ongoing search for a new Comptroller has been marred by procedural breaches, questionable judgment, and a troubling lack of transparency.
After Comptroller Peter Mynarski announced his retirement, BET Chair Harry Fisher unilaterally established a search committee without consulting or informing the full board. This committee, comprising Fisher, Leslie Moriarty, Leslie Tarkington, and David Weisbrod, then proceeded to bypass the standard Request for Proposal (RFP) process, opting instead for a non-competitive “single-source” contract with Texas-based recruiting firm SGR. Details about the firm were shared with the full board only after the contract had been finalized.
Further compounding concerns, it was revealed that the SGR recruiter leading the search had previously been removed from a City Manager role in Pearland, Texas, following public controversy tied to a significant budgeting miscalculation. While the full circumstances of the departure remain unclear, the published reports raised concerns about the recruiter’s suitability for this high-profile assignment. Despite this, the search committee, and particularly Chair Fisher, dismissed the information as “not material.”
This raises a critical question: would these committee members have trusted such a firm under these circumstances for their own businesses or personal matters? Fisher failed to disclose this critical information to other BET members, while Republican Leslie Tarkington and Democratic Minority Chair Leslie Moriarty also withheld these details.
In response to these issues, four Republican BET members invoked a standing rule to call a special meeting to address the lack of transparency and procedural breaches. At the meeting, Democrats remained notably silent, offering no defense for their role in the flawed process. Instead, all BET Democrats, joined by Republicans Fisher and Tarkington, voted to proceed with the current firm, SGR. Adding to the frustration, Moriarty and Weisbrod argued that the search committee should be trusted without providing full disclosure, further eroding public confidence in the process. These actions cast doubt on the integrity of the search and risk tarnishing Greenwich’s reputation.
Chair Fisher’s repeated collaboration with Democratic members to advance initiatives that stray from Republican fiscal principles and disregard the town’s best interests is a troubling pattern. Fisher’s position as BET Chair was secured through full Democratic support, a dynamic that has frequently resulted in decisions undermining transparency and eroding trust in the board’s leadership.
As budget season approaches, Greenwich residents must demand greater accountability from the BET. This starts with insisting on transparency, adherence to established procedures, and sound judgment in managing the town’s finances. Anything less would betray the trust of the taxpayers the board is sworn to serve.
Residents are encouraged to reach out to any member of the BET with their concerns or questions by emailing [email protected]. Engaged and informed citizens are critical to holding the board accountable and ensuring Greenwich’s fiscal integrity.
