Mayor Timothy Stewart criticized Wednesday’s 8-5 vote by the council.

"Wouldn’t it be more advantageous to have someone who is knowledgeable about the business of cemeteries on the commission? This is nonsense," Stewart said.

"When you look at other boards, you would want to have someone with financial experience on the finance board, or fire experience or knowledge on the fire board. The list goes on.

"This is just a witch hunt on the part of a former commissioner."

But Kent Carlson, the Fairview Cemetery Commission chairman, said he is pleased that he’ll get to complete his term -- which runs until December 2007 -- despite what he described as an aggressive push by some Democratic council members to remove him.

"One of the things I’ve advocated as chairman has been the services Fairview Cemetery provides to the city, like reduced rates for burial for the worthy poor and veterans," Carlson said.

"The number of burials has dropped because of demographics and changes in the city. Therefore, the cemetery isn’t generating the amount of dollars it has needed to get rid of (its) debt."

Carlson doesn’t believe there is a conflict of interest.

"I have friends all over the state who serve on cemetery boards in their city. Who better to help make decisions about the cemetery than those with working knowledge of the business?

"I hold myself as an upstanding citizen," Carlson said. "When I was on the Professional Conduct Committee for the National Funeral Directors Association, I helped write the code of conduct for the association that every member has to sign."

Harry Plaut of H.S. Plaut Cemetery Services, said he believes the decision sends a disappointing message to the community.

"It’s a shame that experienced people who are in this business are being penalized," Plaut said. "Could it be that the Democrats don’t want a smart person appointed by the mayor on the commission? Kent is a great citizen.

"This seems to be a political malfunction. I think it’s just a way to hamstring the mayor. I believe it’s politically motivated too."

Michael Trueworthy, the council’s majority leader, said Plaut may also be in a position of conflict in his ownership of a cemetery business. "I’m not sure about it, but he shouldn’t be doing business with the city," Trueworthy said.

Although Trueworthy said that the surfacing of the cemetery issue wasn’t motivated by anything in particular, he acknowledged the council has not applied the same standard to other commissions.

"Now I think we should have a look at the other commissions, too. Anyone who receives funds from the city should not be overseeing a commission that distributes those funds," Trueworthy said.

"I don’t know why the Fairview Cemetery Commission was singled out. I just saw that this was an old resolution, and decided to bring it back out.

"I don’t know why it was met with so much opposition, I just think it makes sense. And I wouldn’t have any problem looking at the other commissions and eliminating potential conflicts."

Franchone Fraser-Ben Reuben Bey can be reached at ffraser@newbritainherald.com or by calling (860) 225-4601, Ext. 221.