Reprinted from The Connecticut Post © Copyright 2009
December 17, 2009

By Susan Silvers

TRUMBULL -- How's this for getting a wrong number: nearly one in three town employees has a cell phone assigned by the municipality, an examination of town records shows.

In all, there are 79 cell phones assigned to the town's 255 full-time employees, including 16 to the Highway Department, and 14 to the Parks Department. The projected annual bill for the service is nearly $50,000.

And the Board of Education said it had 71 more assigned to its staff, adding to a round 150.

The situation has infuriated newly installed First Selectman Timothy M. Herbst, who called it "disgusting." Earlier this week, he fired off a memo to department heads ordering them to come up with a plan for cutting back on cell phone use.

"The party's over," he said.

In his memo, Herbst wrote that:"I should note that with emergency service personnel, cell phones are necessary. However, please be advised, that effective immediately all department heads will be required to work together to reduce the number of town-issued cell phones by 60 percent."

In an interview with the Connecticut Post, Herbst said he didn't see why some departments -- perhaps Highways, Parks, and even Police -- couldn't reduce their reliance on cell phones by using available radio systems. "These are tough times," he said.

It was also not clear why one was assigned to the Tashua Knolls Golf Course, which runs independently of the town budget.

Town Treasurer John Ponzio said he had not yet had a chance to examine all the cell phone contracts. He said it was possible the town had availed itself of bulk rates arranged through the state. He said he didn't yet know whether any employees had abused their access for personal calls.

Herbst circulated to administrators a list that Ponzio said was "for discussion purposes" calling for the Highway Department to cut back its number of eight, Parks to four, and Police to 10. Recreation would lose four of its available five, and the Sewer Department would cut back from seven to four.

Untouched would be such emergency users as the two computer experts in the Technology Department, the two for the Building Department, and the four for the senior transit program, lest someone were to fall ill.

Although he asked for recommendations regarding the phones, Herbst added that he was "reserving my right to eliminate them as I see appropriate."

The town's use exceeded both by number and percentage, that of the Board of Education, which reported 71 cell phones for its 887 employees, costing $27,200 annually. Even without 541 teachers, the assignment rate was 21 percent, including 11 that are held by each school for field trips rather than by specific individuals.

At present, besides roving central office administrators and building principals, the board also had one each assigned to the 11 head building custodians, and 10 for skilled tradesman such as plumbers and carpenters.

Still, Herbst said he had asked school board Chairman Ted Lovely to begin the process of cutting back those as well.

Superintendent of Schools Ralph Iassogna said that four different plans ranging from $9.99 to $99.99 a month.

Trumbull's use of cell phones was markedly higher than in Monroe, where officials said there were 47 cell phones assigned to employees, including 33 for the Board of Education.