Enfield Town Councilor Resigns

ENFIELD, CT - A freshman member of the Enfield Town Council abruptly resigned Monday, citing "too much backdoor politics" and being "continuously silenced" among her reasons.

Kathleen Sarno, who won her first term on the council in November after serving on land use boards for 13 years, tendered her resignation in a brief email to Town Manager Lee Erdmann, Mayor Scott Kaupin and Democratic council leader William "Red" Edgar early Monday afternoon, just hours before a scheduled gathering of council members and their spouses for a "social interview" with candidates for the town manager's position.

An at-large councilor, Sarno repeatedly expressed her opposition to such "social interviews" to other council members, and asked Town Attorney Christopher Bromson for an informal opinion on the matter.

In an email string obtained by Enfield Patch, Bromson told Erdmann he “conferred with Labor Counsel Saranne Murray on this issue and she was uncomfortable on a number of levels with the practice of a social interview.”

According to Murray, “Unlike the regular formal interview process which is highly controlled and consistent, each applicant asked the same questions in a similar setting, the social interview has a level of unpredictability. It will not be possible to know who is asking what. Furthermore, the idea of a spouse or partner being part of the social interview provides another level of concern in that it may later be alleged that one’s spouse or partner disadvantaged the candidate; i.e., age, appearance, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual preference, etc. Lastly, adding the alcohol ingredient to the aforementioned is ill-advised.”

Despite Murray’s opinion, Kaupin wrote, “We have found these types of gatherings to be very beneficial during previous search processes. I am sure all those who attend will be professional and act accordingly. The Town of Enfield never pays for alcohol expenses at functions like these or at conferences out of town. We believe Attorney Murray is being overly cautious, and although we value her opinion in other matters, we just do not agree with her on this one.”

Asked to comment on Sarno’s resignation, Kaupin simply replied, “I wish her well.”

Sarno spoke out on social media, posting on her Facebook page, “I thought I would be able to make a difference but trying to change anything with the current council is downright impossible. I am continuously silenced. I cannot and will not put my ethics and integrity on the line for no one especially for this council! Let me tell you all, and now I'm talking from experience. Everything is decided and determined before the public speaks and in my opinion not taking what we the people say into consideration. I simply will not participate and feel my voice will be heard better from the other side of the table sitting alongside all of you.”

Democratic Town Committee chair Liz Davis said, "Kathleen Sarno is a well-respected dedicated member of the Democratic Town Committee because of her commitment to improving our town and her strong belief in listening to and acting upon the citizens’ concerns. She’s a person that will not compromise her integrity and believes strongly in collaborative governance. It is disappointing to hear the reasons for her resignation as the council’s reported lack of transparency along with their indifference to the needs of the citizens. Her resignation is a loss for the town council and to the people of Enfield. We will work swiftly as a committee to identify her successor."