HARTFORD — The town of Hartford has officially parted ways with Town Manager Tracy Yarlott-Davis six weeks after placing her on administrative leave.

On Thursday the Hartford Selectboard voted, 5-2, to authorize a separation agreement between the town and Yarlott-Davis, following a discussion held in a nonpublic executive session.

Yarlott-Davis, a former auditor from Oakland, Calif., was Hartford’s first female town manager, taking over as the town’s top administrator in February 2021.

Under the agreement, Yarlott-Davis will receive six months’ compensation, totaling $57,500, plus $14,357 in unpaid personal and paid vacation time.

Yarlott may continue to participate in the town employee health, dental and vision plan through May 2023, though all other benefits expired as of Nov. 30.

In exchange for these severance payments, Yarlott-Davis “unconditionally and generally releases” the town and Selectboard from any present or future legal action, including lawsuits.

“Yarlott and Employer will cooperate in good faith hereafter with respect to matters arising during or related to Yarlott’s employment, all matters in connection with any governmental investigation, litigation or regulatory or other proceeding which have arisen or may arise,” the agreement stipulates.

Yarlott-Davis’ tenure as town manager coincided with challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and a turnover in Selectboard members. By March 2022, only two of the seven Selectboard members had been involved in her hiring. Yarlott-Davis also did not receive her first performance evaluation until last August, 18 months into her hire, which officials attributed to the pandemic and instability on the Selectboard at the time.

The board voted on Oct. 20 to place Yarlott-Davis on leave while the town discussed “her future as town manager.”

Two board members, Lannie Collins and Rocket, a Selectboard member who uses only a single legal name, voted in the minority against the agreement. Both members cited displeasure with elements of the deal.

“Some of the terms I had difficulty with, and I could not in good conscience, for the town of Hartford, support the agreement,” Collins said, who declined to specify the terms in detail.

Rocket said he supports the separation but was uncomfortable with the cost of the settlement.

“The Selectboard has a duty to judiciously manage taxpayer money,” Rocket told the Valley News. “While I feel it’s important for our town to move forward through this leadership transition, with grace and expediency, we (also) had both opportunity and obligation to explore more fiscally responsible means of resolution.”

The formal separation allows the Selectboard to begin discussing a plan of succession. On Nov. 2 the board named town Finance Director Gail Ostrout the acting town manager and Human Resources Director Paula Nulty the acting assistant town manager.

Patrick Adrian may be reached at 603-727-3216 or at padrian@vnews.com.

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