Bridgewater town leaders announced Thursday that they have retained an independent law firm to investigate town manager Justin Casanova‑Davis. The move follows a scathing report from the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General (OIG) that accused the manager of leadership failures and of improperly using vacation time while he was town administrator in Norfolk.
OIG findings spark local concern
The OIG report, released last month, detailed nine international trips taken by Casanova‑Davis in under three years, noting that he logged himself as “on the clock” for some of that time and used an “other” pay category on his timecard. The watchdog also found that he took sick leave while abroad in locations such as Paris and South Africa, and that he allegedly collected at least $5,300 in excess pay when he left his Norfolk position.
Bridgewater residents expressed frustration over the lack of transparency. “We’re still in the dark,” said longtime resident Nick Palmieri. “They are using executive session to not tell people in town a lot of information.” Another resident, Kim Covell, added, “I just don’t understand why there’s no transparency. I can’t even go to the town meetings anymore because I get so upset.”
Town council’s response
The town council has met three times in executive session to discuss the matter, and four of the nine councilors voted against holding those closed‑door meetings. Councilor Michaela Spagone said she feels “gagged” by the process and believes the issue could have been resolved earlier.
When Bridgewater announced the independent investigation on social media, the post did not clarify whether Casanova‑Davis would remain in his duties or be placed on administrative leave. Town employees confirmed that he continues to work and has not been placed on paid leave.
Contract amendment under scrutiny
Investigators also uncovered an April town‑meeting agenda item in which councilors considered a contract amendment for Casanova‑Davis. Instead of a 1.5% performance raise (about $3,300 on his $220,000 salary), the manager requested the ability to roll over up to 25 vacation days per year, up from the previous cap of 15 days. The extra days would be worth at least $8,500 when paid out.
The amendment, approved before the OIG report, is now likely to receive closer examination given the allegations of vacation‑time abuse.
Public‑records request and cost concerns
Bridgewater’s public‑records office estimated that fulfilling a request for payroll, timesheets, and the manager’s public calendar would require nearly 70 hours of staff time and cost $1,725. NBC10 Boston is appealing the estimate with the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s public‑records division.
Broader town issues
The investigation comes amid other local challenges, including recent brown‑water complaints and supply shortages that have reached emergency levels. Residents are eager for answers and for the town to be transparent about the cost of the independent probe.
“It’s incumbent upon them to at least tell the people of the town whose money they’re spending what they think the cost could possibly be,” Palmieri said.
Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.
