by Frank Schroth
The Town Administrator search process is moving forward. An email communication with Mary McNamara, chair of the search committee provided an update. The committee received ~40 resumes in response to its ads. The committee is interviewing ~7 individuals. The interviews commenced last night and will continue with the goal of providing the Board of Selectmen with 3-5 candidates for them to consider. Their goal is to have those recommendations to the selectmen by the end of January. The other members of the committee are Leroy Walker, Bill White, Kevin Keating, and John Carroll.
The process to select a new town administrator has taken so many months to move forward that it would be advisable to wait until after the upcoming spring election for a new selectman to complete the process.
A new incoming selectman should have the opportunity to participate in the selection of that person if a change of selectman occurs.
Perhaps, it was a frivolous complaint by one of the three current selectman that he could not work with or communicate with the former town administrator who was appointed prior to his election. He implied that since he did not participate in that selection he could not work with him.
Anticipating that there may be a change in selectman after the spring election, that newly elected or reelected selectman should have the opportunity to vote on the person with whom she or he will have day to day communications.
This should eliminate the specious argument that since he or she didn’t vote for the new town administrator so they could not work with that person.
Better we take the time to get it right than incur avoidable problems in the months to come.
I would like to thank the search committee for doing this volunteer job of selecting three finalist for the town administrator position.
The previous writer above, Mr Yovino, fails to see that having volunteer citizens assist in this process is a great bonus to Milton. They will help the selectmen make a good choice for our town.
Instead of being critical of this committee and the process, let’s watch and wait for these volunteers to do their job.
Thank you volunteers!