Town one step closer to creating administrator position

Town one step closer to creating administrator position

Eryn Dion
News Staff Writer

TEMPLETON — The Select Board is one step closer towards creating the position of Town Administrator after debating the matter for years.

Both Town Coordinator Jeff Ritter and Chairman Jeff Bennett submitted the position’s job descriptions to the board, which have since been reviewed and discussed.

“This is our first attempt at a town administrator,” Mr. Bennett said, in regard to the  documents. “And we know what not having one has done.”


Although the Department of Revenue suggested in its 2009 financial management review that the town create an administrator position, the recommendation — along with the items in the review — were discarded by the former board members. The recent discovery of a $505,000 budget shortfall, however, has convinced many that the position is a necessity.

“The town absolutely needs an administrator, as opposed to a coordinator,” said selectman Doug Morrison.

After reviewing the documents, the board looked at the minimum qualifications set for potential candidates, with concerns that they were either too strict or lenient.

“You don’t want to limit yourself too much,” said Mr. Ritter. “On the other hand, you need to raise the bar.”

The board agreed that the future town administrator would be responsible for the town’s budget.

“People will have somewhere to go to get an answer,” said Mr. Morrison.

The administrator would also be responsible for carrying out the board’s policies, overseeing day-to-day operations and managing department heads.

Since the job descriptions were not available to the board before the meeting, Mr. Ritter suggested members take the time to review which responsibilities they would like to give the administrator and what they felt the board should retain. The recommendations will likely be presented and voted upon at the next meeting in order for the job to be posted in a timely manner.

Mr. Bennett addressed some frustration expressed by members of the community who felt the process was taking too long — saying it is a big transitional step and a better fit for the town.

“Good governance with open transparency, making good decisions, does take time,” he said.

With the current town coordinator leaving and the town administrator position still being discussed, the board has decided to hire an interim town coordinator to fill the gap. As of yet no candidates have been officially put forth, although Mr. Ritter stated he knew of several people who were available and qualified.