Markel steps down in Templeton

Markel steps down in Templeton
Selectmen say interim town administrator will be missed

Christine Smith TEMPLETON  Interim Town Adminis­tra­tor Robert Markel will attend his final Board of Selectmen meeting on July 11 before his departure at the end of that month, after recently notifying the town that he would be leaving. Markel has held the part-time position since February 2014 with the intention of seeing Templeton through its transition to a full-time permanent replacement. Selectmen formally accepted Markel’s resignation at their meeting on June 27. Board members, however, said they “regrettably” made the motion and expressed thanks for the time Markel has served. Board of Selectmen John Columbus said it was his own “symbolic” gesture to reject the resignation and voted against the motion. Vice Chairman Diane Haley Brooks and members Doug Morrison and Julie Richard gave their assent. Selectmen expressed favor in filling the post on another interim basis until a new full-time permanent town administrator can be found. Col­umbus said he did not believe that selectmen could take on the work as a board or “do the job effectively.” Morrison said that the length of time needed in order to fill the position with a permanent replacement will take an estimated 10 months to a year. He said someone with municipal experience would be needed to bring the town through the time it will take to search for candidates, interview and wait for the new candidate to actually take up the position. At the selectmen’s request, Markel will supply the board with names of possible candidates to replace him as interim and selectmen may consider these potential replacements as soon as its next meeting. On July 21, the board will review possible firms to help the town conduct a search for a permanent Town Adminis­tra­­tor. In February, Markel had told the town that he would stay for another year, and at that time selectmen voted to keep him on until June 30, 2017. He didn’t publically say why he was leaving at this time. Markel stated that he was convinced that going into the future, Templeton “will make nothing but progress.” He said the town is “right on course” with finances and on its way to gradually improving town services. Markel helped steer the town through the fallout of a $505,000 budget shortfall and has taken steps to ensure the town is back on sound financial footing. Markel has lived and worked in Massachusetts all his life, serving first in Springfield as chairman of the School Committee, then city councilor and eventually mayor for several years. He worked as town administrator in Norfolk and later town manager of Ipswich before retiring and taking up part-time, interim positions in Northfield and Templeton.