hired a law firm to conduct an independent investigation

In the wake of a scathing report from a Massachusetts watchdog, elected leaders in Bridgewater are hiring a law firm to conduct an independent investigation into their town manager.

The decision comes after the Office of the Massachusetts Inspector General accused Justin Casanova-Davis of "leadership failure" and of abusing his vacation time while he worked in his previous job for the Town of Norfolk.

The OIG released the report a month ago and some taxpayers told NBC10 Boston they are frustrated about the lack of information coming from Town Hall. To date, town councilors have met three times behind closed doors in executive session to discuss the situation.

"We're still in the dark," said Nick Palmieri, a Bridgewater resident of 40 years. "They are using executive session to not tell people in town a lot of information."

Citizens and town leaders went back and forth for more than an hour at a meeting Monday following a report from the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General regarding the tenure of Justin Casanova-Davis.

Is the town manager working while under investigation?

One of the biggest lingering questions is Casanova-Davis' work status with the town. When town leaders announced the independent investigation on social media, the message made no mention of whether Casanova-Davis would continue carrying out his duties as town manager, or if he would be placed on administrative leave.

No town councilors responded to a question from NBC10 Boston, which asked for clarification about the town manager's status.

"The independent investigation will review the circumstances surrounding the OIG report and any matters relevant to Mr. Casanova-Davis's employment with the Town of Bridgewater, including applicable disclosure, reporting, timekeeping and leave requirements," the post on social media said.

Report says town manager abused vacation time

The OIG report detailed how Casanova-Davis tallied nine international trips in under three years as town administrator in Norfolk. According to the report, Casanova-Davis logged being on the clock during some of his time overseas, or by using an "other" pay category on his timecard.

On a couple occasions, the OIG found Casanova-Davis took sick time from places like Paris and South Africa.

The report found Justin Casanova-Davis, now the town manager in Bridgewater, abused vacation time and misused public resources as Norfolk's town administrator.

By not using vacation time, the OIG concluded that Casanova-Davis stockpiled those days and inappropriately collected at least $5,300 when he left his position in Norfolk.

Town manager offers 'charitable donation'

Casanova-Davis has not responded to NBC10 Boston questions or spoken publicly since the OIG released the findings.

However, in a letter to town leaders in Norfolk, Casanova-Davis issued a rebuttal to the OIG report.

"While I vehemently disagree with some of the findings of this report, especially the finding that suggests that I may have been given $5,304 more in pay than contractually allowed," Casanova-Davis wrote. "For the good of the Town so that we can move forward, I am willing to voluntarily make a charitable donation to the Town in that amount."

The town administrator in Norfolk told NBC10 Boston a formal request for reimbursement is currently being finalized.

Closed-door meetings divide Town Council

Meantime, the Town Council in Bridgewater met in executive session on Aug. 25, the third time the elected body discussed the town manager situation behind closed doors.

It was clear that some councilors had grown frustrated with the process. Four of the nine members voted against meeting in executive session.

"I have the feeling that I'm being gagged for the entire process," Michaela Spagone said. "I feel like this issue could've been resolved at some point in the earlier period in time and we’ve been belaboring it for several weeks."

Contract amendment under scrutiny

The NBC10 Boston Investigators found an agenda item from a town meeting last April when elected leaders considered a contract amendment for Casanova-Davis.

In lieu of accepting a 1.5% performance raise, the town manager requested the ability to roll over up to 25 days of vacation per year, an increase from the previous cap of 15 days per year.

At a salary of $220,000, the performance raise equated to $3,300 of compensation. The 10 extra accrued vacation days would be valued at least $8,500 when paid out at the end of employment.

That approved contract amendment will now likely get a closer look in light of the details in the OIG report, which found a similar request for an increase in accrued vacation time while Casanova-Davis worked in Norfolk.

What will investigation cost taxpayers?

On Wednesday, NBC10 Boston stopped by Town Hall, where employees in the town manager's office confirmed Casanova-Davis has remained on the job and has not been placed on any kind of paid administrative leave amid the independent probe.

"I just don't understand why there's no transparency," said Kim Covell, a Bridgewater resident of 30 years. "I can't even go to the town meetings anymore because I get so upset."

The NBC10 Boston Investigators submitted a public records request for documents that would shed light on how much vacation time Casanova-Davis has taken since he started the job last year, including his payroll, timesheets and public calendar.

The town responded that reviewing the records would take nearly 70 hours at a cost of $1,725. NBC10 Boston is appealing the estimate with the Massachusetts Secretary of State's public records division.

The issue comes at a time when Bridgewater residents have dealt with brown water complaints and supply shortages that have reached emergency levels.

Taxpayers wonder how long the outside investigation will last before they start to get answers.

"It's incumbent upon them to at least tell the people of the town whose money that they're spending what they think the cost could possibly be," Palmieri said.