The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Wilton, Connecticut, resigned last week after town officials discovered her simultaneous employment as a town administrator 2,000 miles away in Greybull, Wyoming.
Dawn Norton, who began her tenure as Wilton’s CFO in March 2022, assumed the role in Greybull in May, according to comments made by Wilton Town Administrator Matt Knickerbocker.
Norton contends she adhered to her employment terms while assuming her new role, asserting that she kept Wilton’s leadership informed about her situation.
As of February this year, Norton claimed she was working remotely for Wilton from Wyoming while on Family Medical Leave, attending to her injured husband.
In April, she applied for the Greybull job, initially hired on a part-time trial basis before securing a permanent, full-time position.
“I gave him my retirement notice,” Norton stated, referring to her transition to full-time in Greybull.
“My notice indicated I’d provide full support until November 3, when department head contracts are renewed.
I committed to doing 100 percent of everything required—completing the audit, attending meetings, and fulfilling any other needs.”
However, Knickerbocker revealed that town Human Resources alerted him on Sunday night about Norton’s listing as Greybull’s town administrator.
During a phone call with her on Monday morning, Knickerbocker confirmed that Norton had indeed taken on both roles.
After this revelation, Norton promptly resigned from her position in Wilton.
Both Knickerbocker and First Selectwoman Toni Boucher assert that Norton failed to disclose her confirmed employment in Greybull, pushing back on her claim that she informed them of her job search.
In her defense, Norton pointed to a written notice she sent on April 7, 2025, to Boucher and the HR director, indicating that she was “actively seeking employment elsewhere.”
Wilton officials clarified that the town permits occasional part-time external roles only in limited emergency situations, specifying that holding another full-time public office would not have been sanctioned had they been aware.
This development emerges amid a recent review of Wilton’s Town Hall prompted by concerns regarding the Finance Department.
Auditor findings indicated “material weakness,” chronic understaffing, unauthorized tax credits, and a challenging budget process, with officials focusing on the department’s stress while unaware of Norton’s dual employment.
Norton cited these ongoing challenges at Town Hall as a motivation for her decision to leave Wilton.
“[It] is one of the reasons why I was actively seeking to get the heck out of dodge because I can’t handle the work that was being dumped on me, and I was not getting any support whatsoever in hiring positions in my office,” she expressed.
Over the past year, she took on responsibilities that extended beyond her role, handling accounts payable and other tasks which she contended belong to clerical staff.
Norton elaborated on the mounting pressure from the negative perception surrounding the audit’s findings of material weakness and the senior tax credit situation.
“I want out.
I’m tired of the negativity that I keep getting pushed on me.
People aren’t listening to the situation,” she remarked.
Norton emphasized that her office lacked adequate staffing and support, which hindered their ability to manage the workload effectively.
While she recognized the reporting structure regarding tax collection and assessment, she insisted that her responsibilities were more limited and that she had been accustomed to overseeing financial matters posted to the ledger.
In the wake of Norton’s resignation, Wilton’s Board of Selectmen quickly advertised the CFO vacancy.
They adjusted the salary range for the position to between $160,000 and $200,000, a reduction from Norton’s salary of $210,108 in 2024.
This new role will also exclude Board of Education responsibilities, and the Board of Selectmen has initiated the creation of a search committee to identify an interim CFO immediately.
Meanwhile, records from Greybull indicate that Norton was officially appointed as Town Administrator on May 12, where she has since engaged in municipal meetings, provided financial reports, and signed official resolutions.
image source from：independent
