After being hired as the town's new finance director in November, Thomas Morrison submitted his resignation last week. First Selectman Janet McCarty made the announcement in a statement, listing "unexpected family commitments" as the reason for Morrison's decision.

Morrison had most recently served as finance director for the city of Hartford. A graduate of Swarthmore College and Columbia University, he brought over 20 years of private sector and government experience to North Haven.

Upon his hiring, Morrison said that he hoped to focus on economic development during his time in North Haven. He expressed optimism that the town could continue to do well, and stressed the importance of maintaining property values.

Most recently, Morrison had been examining the history behind the raises given to town employees. At a recent Board of Finance meeting, he explained details of the raises to board members and expressed his support for the decision. He had also been exploring funding possibilities for two proposed town projects, the extension of Valley Service Road and the Todd Drive drainage projects.

Morrison's departure leaves the position of finance director vacant once again, continuing a troubled history for the post in recent years. In April 2007, former finance director Vincent Palmieri was arrested on charges of tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution for his part in the town scandal dealing with missing funds. Since then, the job had been occupied only on a fill-in basis.

McCarty said that she is in the midst of a search to fill the position quickly, and that she hoped Morrison's absence would not affect the budget process.

"I'm working on it," she said. "It's certainly a priority."