New Hampshire native Hickey gets the nod
TGN file photo Keith Hickey
Damien Fisher
News Staff Writer
WINCHENDON Selectmen voted unanimously Monday night to hire Keith Hickey to be the next town manager.
Mr. Hickey, the current town manger in Salem, New Hampshire, comes with decades of experience as a municipal manager, as well as a deep understanding of municipal finances and accounting. Board members praised both Mr. Hickey, and the other candidate, Mark Rees, the former city manager for Portland, Maine, but Mr. Hickey’s sharp focus on finances helped tip the balance in his favor.
“I found him to be more charged,” said Chairman Michael Barbaro.
Mr. Hickey will be contacted by the town and then negotiate a contract for his services before he is officially hired. The town advertised the position as paying up to $120,000 annually.
During his interview last week, Mr. Hickey told the board that he has been traveling to Winchendon for years from his home in Greenfield, New Hampshire. His sons play hockey and have played games at the Winchendon School. He became attracted to the town from his trips for hockey and golf, and he has been interested in Winchendon for some time.
Starting as an accountant, Mr. Hickey worked his way up to being a municipal finance director, and finally municipal manager. Mr. Hickey told the board that he is ready for the challenges facing the new Toy Town leader.
“I’m looking forward to tackling the challenges that Winchendon is facing, along with the board and the capable staff,” he said.
Winchendon is recovering from last year’s financial crisis that saw the town borrow close to $3 million to cover deficits. The town is expected to borrow another $550,000 to complete the deficit reduction. The deficits were created largely by accounting issues in the municipal employee health insurance trust fund, and in overspending in the School Department on grand funded trust accounts.
The Massachusetts Department of Revenue stepped in to oversee the town’s recovery from the deficits. Town Manager James Kreidler resigned earlier this year after voters agreed to buy out his contract, and Bernie Lynch was hired as the interim town manager. Mr. Lynch also served as the recruiting consultant for the town manager search.
Mr. Hickey’s job in Salem, New Hampshire, has him overseeing a town of 29,000 residents with a $49 million annual operating budget, which excludes the education budget for the town. Mr. Hickey, who lives in Greenfield, New Hampshire, has been the manager in Salem since 2011, and has had managerial experience in Merrimack, New Hampshire, and Bedford, New Hampshire. He also has municipal financial management experience.
So Winchendon tax rates are going up and up?
ReplyDeletePay back 3 million to the state = tax increase.
550,000.00 shortfall for 2015 books=tax increase.
Where will Mr. Hickey suck over a half million from a budget he has never seen before?
Did he get the job because of his name?
Capable staff?
Overspending in the School Department on grand funded trust accounts.
Can anyone let me know what the grand funding trust could be.
Is that when capable staff overspend and know they are doing it.
Post figures and turn paperwork in to late to do anything about it?