Water authorities will pay Freda $500,000 a year. North Haven Republican First Selectman begins 1/2 time September.

Without a search or a job posting, the Regional Water Authority (RWA) and Aquarion Water Authority (AWA) agreed to pay North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda $500,000 a year for four years as his base salary, according to a July 23rd confidential Offer of Employment. Freda will also receive an $8,000 a year automobile allowance.

The “Dear Michael” letter with details of the generous compensation offer was obtained Monday in response to a request for documents made last week. Freda declined last week to respond to questions about his new job.

The deal calls for Freda to begin a transition period on September 1st. He will work 20 hours a week and be compensated a proportional amount of his half-million dollar salary. Freda has said he will remain first selectman until December 31st. That arrangement means Freda will be both CEO of RWA and the chief elected official of a member town and customer of the 15-town water system.

Freda will serve as CEO of the two unregulated water companies that serve more than one million Connecticut residents. The AWA was authorized by the legislature in a 2024 special session. It encompasses 60 municipalities. It purchased Eversource’s Aquarion for $2.4 billion. It paid Eversource with a successful bond offering this summer.

The employment offer states, “The Authority believes your experience, leadership and commitment to public service make you exceptionally qualified to guide the organization during this important period of transition.” Note the carefully crafted letter does not say Freda will be leading the Authority. He will report to the RWA.

Officials in the AWA’s 60 towns may soon realize what their failure to pay attention means for ratepayers.

Freda signed the letter on July 24th.

Published August 24, 2026