WALLINGFORD, CT - Stephen Nere, executive director of the Wallingford Housing Authority, is suing the agency commissioners, claiming they violated terms of his employment contract by voting in late June to revoke take-home privileges for all authority vehicles, according to the New Haven Register.

The lawsuit also names three people on the five-member commission as individual defendants. The three members voted in favor of revoking take-home privileges for all vehicles.

Nere is seeking more than $15,000 in damages from the authority, as well as payment of all his legal fees and a restoration of take-home privileges for his authority-owned sport utility vehicle. The first hearing in the case is set for Aug. 17 in Superior Court in Meriden.

Nere has been executive director of the authority since 1985, and has had take-home privileges of an agency vehicle since 1992, according to legal papers. His contract with the authority ends Aug. 31, 2012. Nere has accused the agency's Democratic members of trying to force him out before his contract expires, according to the New Haven Register.