Templeton close to hiring interim administrator
Staff ReportTEMPLETON — The question of the town’s interim Town Administrator will likely be resolved at Jan. 27 Board of Selectmen meeting, with officials meeting the sole candidate.
Chairman Jeffrey Bennett indicated that the board did not receive any other resumes or have any other candidates interested in the position.
Officials said the sole candidate is currently he is the interim town administrator in Northfield, and has previously served as the mayor of Springfield, as well as numerous administrator positions in towns around the state.
Robert Markel is currently Northfield’s interim town administrator and a former Springfield mayor.
The candidate will be present at the next board meeting and will be addressed in the first item of agenda — who already met the board on Jan. 15.
Mr. Bennett said the board will review the amount left in the town coordinator’s salary account in order to be prepared to discuss hours and pay. He also confirmed this will be a part time position, with the title of administrator as opposed to coordinator.
“We have the job description for it,” he said. “That’s what we need.”
The candidate will be filling the space left by former town coordinator Jeff Ritter, who left Templeton for a town administrator position in Sterling last week.
One of the advantages of having an administrator, as opposed to a coordinator, is authority over the town’s budget.
“He would be a big help in moving on the budget,” Mr. Bennett said.
In previous meetings, the board extolled the candidate’s qualifications, saying he has helped many small towns in the area through similar difficult situations.
Officials said his guidance, both with the budget and in hiring a full-time town administrator, would be nothing short of miraculous.
Even as it seems our town's problems have no end, the people who pay the way need to look at the positives that are being played out before our eyes. This is the first Board of Selectmen that has refused to kick reality down the road, for some other board to deal with in the future. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"!! That attitude has gotten our town right where it is, and the problems have been there all along but other boards hid from the reality. I am putting my money on Mr. Markle to lead us to a better way of running the town's business. It certainly is about time. Bev.
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