On Jan. 5, the Board of Finance took time to commend Charlie Haberstroh.

Haberstroh, a Republican elected to the Board, recently stepped down on Dec. 22 to fill a vacant seat on the Board of Selectmen. With his induction onto that Board, Haberstroh will become Westport’s next Third Selectman.

It is undetermined who will fill Haberstroh’s vacant seat on the BOF, but many Board members, such Avi Kaner, will remember Haberstroh’s service during his time on the BOF.

“[Haberstroh] has been a real inspiration to me, and we’ve become good friends through our time on the BOF… Charlie stands out as a member of the Board and as an individual for his combination of selflessness and diligence. In the decisions he made, he always put the interests of the taxpayer first,” Kaner said.

Other Board members, such as Kenneth Wirfel, expressed sentiment that a public commendation didn’t adequately represent the magnitude of Haberstroh’s work on the Board.

“I wish we could do this [commendation] out of the glare of the public eye. I think a Comedy Central style roast would be more appropriate,” Wirfel said.

In reference to his own time on the Board of Finance, Haberstroh congratulated the other Board members for their sense of unity and work ethic.

“It’s very easy, in the heat of the moment, to forget that we’re friends and neighbors; this Board has done an excellent job in negotiating for the interests of the Town of Westport. In the future, it’s likely that state and federal taxes will go up and services will be cut,” Haberstoh said. “However, Westport has been and must continue to be a provider of quality services for the public to use. This town is one of the last bastions for supporting services in the state of Connecticut, and in the United States.”

In a connected manner, the BOF proceeded to discuss its obligations to retired town employees. A written report from the Finance Director stated that an additional 2.4 million dollars is required for the Town’s Other Post-Employment Benefits fund (OPEB) The BOF had, in a prior meeting, agreed to forward an initial sum of 1.2 million dollars to the fund, and then pay the remaining balance at a later date.

Still, Kaner proposed during the Jan. 5 meeting that the Board fulfill the entire 2.4 million, and eliminate the waiting period between payments.

“Medical costs are continuing to go up. If we don’t fully fund OPEB now, then we’ll end up paying more [than 2.4 million dollars] next year,” Kaner said.

However, First Selectman Gordon Joseloff defended the concept of paying the 2.4 million dollars in parts as a matter of practicality, and also because the BOF is legally not allowed to increase the monetary value of a proposal.

“I’m not comfortable increasing the value of a proposal like this on the spur of the moment… it’s slightly premature, we need to see the effects of the initial 1.2 million dollars in February,” Joseloff said.