Double duty in Enfield: Police chief will become acting town manager

Nov. 29—ENFIELD — Today, on the same morning Town Manager Christopher W. Bromson broke his silence on his abrupt notice of resignation earlier this month, Mayor Bob Cressotti revealed that the Town Council intends to appoint Police Chief Alaric Fox as acting town manager while the town searches for a permanent replacement.

Originally, the role of acting town manager was to be given to Finance Director John Wilcox, but he didn't want it, Cressotti said.

"John didn't feel comfortable in the role," Cressotti said.

It's unclear when the council will formally appoint Fox. Bromson's last day is Dec. 6.

Fox said today that he will not be getting a pay raise to take on the acting town manager's job while still being police chief. He also said that he will still be reporting to the Police Department full time, but will go to Town Hall as needed.

He said he's "flattered" town officials thought of him for the role of acting town manager.

Meanwhile, the council, during a virtual meeting scheduled for 5:30 this afternoon, will seek to approve the hiring of GovHR USA LLC as the firm that will assist in the search for a new town manager.

Bromson, who has worked for the town in various capacities for more than 30 years, the last three as town manager, gave his notice of resignation in the middle of a council meeting held at Town Hall on Nov. 15. He then stormed out. He reacted after he was noticeably frustrated with a line of questioning from council members regarding the possibility of transferring $100,000 for a bike path in the Thompsonville section of town.

During a phone call this morning, Bromson said his action during that council meeting doesn't "blemish" his lengthy career in Enfield.

"Thankfully, I had the opportunity to stay a year and a half longer than I expected," he said, referring to the fact that he originally was to retire in October 2020 but agreed to stay on until March 2021, then agreed to stay on for another year, until 2022, while the town searched for a replacement, a search made more difficult due to a diminished applicant pool because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I'm thankful that a lot of the projects we started are underway," he said. "I'm very proud of all the work we've done and it all makes me happy. I love this town and I'm thankful for all the friendships and all the relationships."

Cressotti said the town utilized the services of GovHR USA in the fall of 2020 when Bromson was originally set to retire. He said he is unsure how much the firm's services will cost the town now. He also said there is no timetable for when a new manager will be hired.

"We're staying very positive," Cressotti said. "The town will move forward and hopefully we get some good candidates."

Bromson offered his thoughts on the hiring process.

"I think you have to advertise as widely as possible to get the biggest array of candidates you can. I think you have to make a package that makes you competitive because there are a lot of communities — not just in Connecticut — that are vying for a manager," Bromson said. "You have to really entice someone to be interested in Enfield. I think it's an exciting town to be a part of."

GovHR USA is based out of Northbrook, Illinois, and, according to its website, provides comprehensive executive recruitment, interim staffing, human resources consulting and organizational analysis consulting services for local governments, intergovernmental organizations, school districts, as well as other governmental and nonprofit entities.

Bromson began his tenure in Enfield as town attorney in 1989 and held the job until 2008, also taking on a short stint as interim town manager in 2005-2006 after Scott Shanley resigned.

From 2008 to 2016, Bromson served as the town's public safety director, after which he returned to the town attorney's job. He again became acting town manager in May 2018 when Town Manager Bryan Chodkowski resigned, and the council appointed Bromson town manager on a permanent basis in September 2018.

With his last day as town manager coming up in about a week, Bromson said today that he then plans to take some time off before beginning his next endeavor.

"I'm anxious to start the next chapter, and there's a lot of opportunities out there," he said.

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