PITTSFIELD – Town councilors will hold six public hearings Tuesday night, including one for the proposed $2.3 million 2001 town budget. With councilors divided on one key issue in the budget – the retention of the economic director’s full-time position – it’s uncertain whether the budget will pass as proposed.

During a budget workshop last week, Mayor Gary Jordan and Councilors Charles Cianchette and Peter “Andi” Vigue agreed with a proposal that the full-time position be phased out after four months.

On May 1, they agreed, a consultant should be hired for two days a week. Jordan has maintained that many of the larger projects of the job, such as implementing new land use ordinances, have been completed or are nearing completion.

Those very ordinances, he said, have severely restricted commercial growth in Pittsfield. He questioned whether a full-time economic director was needed any longer.

Phasing out the position will save $2,311, which represents benefits now offered with the job.

The recommendation came as a shock to town employees, particularly to Sylvia Hudson, who has been the economic director for more than two years. Councilor Robert Stackhouse opposed cutting the position, as did Councilor Tim Nichols. Nichols reversed his vote later in the meeting, however, giving the vote the four-member majority it required for passage. Nichols altered his vote after vowing to revisit the issue after the four-month period has expired.

On Sunday, though, Nichols said he had changed his opinion again and although he will be unable to attend Tuesday night’s budget hearing, he has forwarded a letter to Stackhouse to be read in his absence.

In the letter, Nichols not only said he favors funding the position fully for the next year, he said the personal attack on Hudson during a budget workshop was wrong.

“It was a mistake to take Sylvia Hudson to task in a public forum,” he said Sunday afternoon. Although he agreed that it was appropriate to question the budget, it was not appropriate for the council to quiz her on decisions she had made and whether she had been forthright in recommendations to the council.

“I hope we can learn from this,” said Nichols. “I am very concerned that a part-time consultant will not be readily available to use, and I don’t agree with increasing the town manager’s workload. Expecting the other department heads to share in Sylvia’s work is a pipe dream.”

Nichols said that although residents should not have to pay for services that are not needed, “I think this decision [to cut the position] was based on ‘what-ifs.'”

Councilors Tom Cote and Kathy Brattoya were absent from the recent hearing and their votes, particularly in light of Nichols’ anticipated absence, are expected to be key as to whether the budget will pass as proposed. Neither councilor could be reached Sunday for comment. Town Manager D. Dwight Dogherty told the council last week that he could not absorb all of Hudson’s duties and keep the town government running efficiently.

Since Hudson was hired as economic director in 1998, her job description has undergone many changes. The council added the roles of assistant town manager and human resource director.

In March 1999, they further amended her job description, adding development and administration of the town’s personnel system and programs, including the personnel policy, which includes pay and classification, labor relations, orientation and training, safety issues, ensuring compliance with state and federal mandates, collective bargaining, and keeping the town manager aware of issues and solutions.

Hudson has also been the town’s administrative liaison with all committees and boards, responsible for overseeing the Pittsfield Airport renovation, the Manson Park restoration, and a wage and benefit study for town employees. During budget deliberations a year ago, Hudson told councilors that all the new duties had required her to work a total of 11 weeks overtime in 1999. Rather than including overtime wages in the 2000 budget, councilors suggested that she budget her time more carefully.

The council will also hold a public hearing on the proposed capital budget, which has not been controversial, at $221,000.

In other business, the council will:

. Appoint an SAD 53 director to fill a one-year seat vacated with the resignation of J.P. Mailman.

. Award the municipal building and public library custodial contract for the next three years, choosing from four bids that range from $48,799 to $82,619. The current contractor, ClenzClean of Pittsfield, bid $54,000, or $18,000 for each year.

. Decide on changing the town’s health insurance plan.

. Vote on a bottle club application for Lee Doncet VFW Post 9955.

. Vote on purchasing a nonconforming lot at the intersection of Harriet and Third streets.

. Ratify an already-approved ordinance banning the disposal of household rubbish in town-owned recycling and trash containers.