Westport First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell today announced she has hired William H. Gaffney, III, assessor for the town of Milford and 2003 “Assessor of the Year,” as the town’s new assessor.
“I’m delighted Bill is coming aboard,” she said. “He has spectacular credentials and will bring stability to the department that will now be focused on implementing a full physical revaluation in 2005.”
She said Gaffney will begin work June 21.
Gaffney, assessor in Milford since 1992, was among four finalists for the position and accepted the job Friday, Farrell said.
He takes over from Glenn Werfelman, who Farrell says failed to inform her of a backlog in building permit paperwork in his office that led to postponing the 2003 property assessment for a year.
Farrell placed him on leave March 4 and he retired effective May 1.
Gaffney is a veteran assessor who last year was named “Assessor of the Year” by the Connecticut Association of Assessing Officers, Inc. Prior to joining Milford, he was assistant assessor in Fairfield from 1979 to 1992.
Last month, he addressed a meeting of the Revaluation Working Group, the
group appointed by Farrell to review the postponed 2003 assessment.
He explained how Milford handles its assessment in house and suggested Westport might consider doing the same.
The group has indicated its preference to conduct a full physical revaluation rather than a less accurate statistical update.
The General Assembly last week approved a bill giving communities the option of delaying a reval for up to three years.
Farrell is expected to ask the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) on June 1 to approve a postponement a necessary requirement under the new state legislation.
Gaffney will have his work cut out for him. The town has already hired a firm to help clear up the building permit backlog but it is unlikely that it can conduct a full physical reval in house so a firm must be hired.
Meanwhile, the Reval Working Group, along with the RTM Finance Committee as well as members of the Board of Finance, are pressing for a full investigation of the assessor’s office.
