Stonington ― First Selectman Danielle Chesebrough has eliminated the town’s economic and community development director position currently held by Susan Cullen as part of an effort to address upcoming budget needs.

“A picture is being painted that there’s some of these core needs that we really need to focus on, but also understanding I can’t keep going to the Board of Finance and asking for more positions,” said Chesebrough when reached by phone on Tuesday.

By eliminating Cullen’s position, the town will save nearly $150,000 in salary, employer costs and benefits. Her last day of work was Wednesday.

“This is probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in this job, and this job is full of hard things,” Chesebrough said.

The decision to eliminate the position was shared with town staff in an email on Monday.

“As part of evaluating current and future resource needs, I have made the decision to eliminate this position,” Chesebrough wrote.

In the email, Chesebrough noted that since being hired three and a half years ago, Cullen has made significant contributions to the town including overseeing the Route 1 sidewalk project in Pawcatuck, which required the negotiation, writing and recording of 24 easements.

Cullen also played a role in securing more than $1 million in grants for town projects like the $773,889 brownfield remediation grant for the Mystic River Boathouse Park. Her position is funded in the current budget through June 30, 2024.

“It was an honor and a privilege to serve the town of Stonington,” Cullen said when reached by phone Tuesday.

Chesebrough said recent work on the 2024-25 budget showed that the town budget is under pressure from essential infrastructure projects and rising resident service demands. The choice was either to make cuts to offset the costs or further burden already overburdened and struggling taxpayers.

“In an ideal world with unlimited resources, we would still have this position,” she said, but explained that Cullen’s position, one of the most senior in the town, is not an essential position, and its elimination would not increase the burden on other town departments.