City Hall in Norwich, where city leaders are considering an idea to create a part-time stipend deputy mayor position to help with with the transition of a new elected mayor in the future. (Photo by Shawn Magrath)

NORWICH – An idea to add a new layer of administration to the Norwich city government has been floated by the Norwich mayor as the city’s common council continues talks of changing its leadership model in favor of a city manager.

Norwich Mayor Brian Doliver addressed city council members at a recent meeting of the Norwich Joint Committees, suggesting that the city may benefit from having an appointed part-time or stipend “deputy mayor” to help ease the transition of a new mayor in the future. Doliver, who is now nearing the end of his second term, does not plan to seek reelection.

For several weeks, the city has been using a consulting firm to conduct a feasibility study on the impact of eliminating the elected mayoral role and replacing it with an alternative “city manager.”

“You can look at this as an alternative or a step in the direction of creating a city manager,” Doliver said of his proposal for a deputy mayor. “It’s a thought, a different idea for someone who might not be entirely in favor of a city manager but might be thinking of moving that way.”

A deputy mayor, explained Doliver, would be appointed by the city mayor, with approval from the Norwich Common Council, for a two-year term and would attain a $5,000 stipend. The two-year term of the position would align with the two-year term of the city mayor.