Weston First Selectwoman Overpaid Nearly $10K, Town Says

WESTON, CT — Weston First Selectwoman Samantha Nestor was overpaid $9,989.51 in cost-of-living salary increase she was ineligible to receive, according to Town Administrator Karl Kilduff.

Nestor said in a statement issued this week that she has since repaid the town.

The issue first arose during the Board of Selectmen's budget review in February, Kilduff said, when officials determined Nestor was not eligible for cost-of-living adjustments, known as COLAs.

Finance Director Rick Darling calculated the overpayment dating back to August 2023, and Nestor made restitution to the town in March, Kilduff said. Payroll records show the repayment totaled $9,989.51.

In her statement, Nestor said she believed she was eligible for the raises after being informed by former Interim Town Administrator Lee Palmer that she could receive the adjustments.

According to Nestor, the increases were approved through the town's normal budget process, including by the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, the Annual Town Budget Meeting and voters.

"Once it came to my attention that the town may have issued the COLA in error, I voluntarily returned the money rather than waste time and resources of the town litigating the issue," Nestor said.

Nestor said the town is also working to clarify its policies so similar misunderstandings do not happen again.

"Part of my job as Town CEO is to fix errors and improve processes — so I did the first, and we are working on the latter, so that policies are clear and misinterpretations like this one are not repeated," she said.

Kilduff said the town is drafting a policy governing wage adjustments for elected officials to reinforce the process outlined in the Town Charter.

Nestor is also the Democratic nominee for Connecticut's open 26th State Senate seat, which represents Weston, Westport, Wilton and parts of Redding.