Mayor: Don't Use the Courts to Play Politics

At the end of my term as Stratford's first mayor there was much made by partisans and some in the press of the "cashouts" upon separation of several employees that had been appointed by me.

In 2010 the Town of Stratford, at the direction of Mayor Harkins, sued some of these former members of my administration.

I have always maintained that those employees' separation payments were proper and in accordance with their contracts and similar to how other town employees benefits were calculated when they separated from town service.

My position was upheld last year after the trial against my former assistant, Eric Castater, was concluded and he won on all counts.

After the town's defeat in court, Mayor Harkins and his political appointee Town Attorney decided to spend more taxpayer dollars and appeal -- despite the well-reasoned opinion by one of Connecticut’s most prominent judges in the Eric Castater case.

Recently, the Connecticut Appellate Court held that the trial court's decision in Eric Castater's favor was correct and denied the town's appeal.

I have attached the link to the decision:http://www.jud.state.ct.us/external/supapp/Cases/AROap/AP136/136AP428.pdf

You would think this would end this long drawn out legal and political drama but the town still has other taxpayer-funded actions against former HR Director, Ned Winterbottom and Mayoral Assistant, Devron Wilson pending in the court for the identical issues in the Castater case.

Frankly, it would raise an already partisan action to new levels of gall and frivolity if they persist on taking those cases to trial.

Mayor Harkins and his Town Attorney need to stop wasting taxpayer dollars on these frivolous and politically motivated lawsuits, withdraw the remaining cases and apologize to those wrongfully accused by them of wrongdoing.

Given the initial coverage -- the press might also want to cover the story too.