Town Officials Renew Commitment To Harbor

The town administrator vowed to work with the harbormaster on goals, objectives and transparency and on providing the harbormaster the proper resources.

  Town officials have recommitted themselves to Swampscott's harbor and want to attend to its needs and harness its potential. Town Administrator Thomas Younger told the harbormaster, his assistants and members of the Harbor Advisory Committee last week that the harbor is crucial to the town. "Let's have (it) operating as a major asset," Younger said. He wants to put in place goals and objectives for the harbor and enhance transparency through regular reports. One of Harbormaster Larry Bithell's complaints under former Town Administrator Andrew Maylor was that the harbor office lacked even a computer or a printer. Younger said last Wednesday that Bithell would have a computer and printer within the week.  The town administrator said he …

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Live Chat With Thomas Younger

Talk to your town administrator, and ask him questions.

  Hello out there. Welcome to our first chat online with your town administrator, your new town administrator.

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Swampscott Stories

A New Day in Town Administration

Thomas Younger's first day on the job was Monday. He started the day with a surprise meet and greet organized by town employees and spent the day feeling his way into the new post.

  It was day's end on Day 1 of the Thomas Younger era and the town administrator's desk was clean, shiny and free of clutter. He keeps it that way: neat and prepared for the next morning. "You could land a small plane on it," he says. It's the same way he likes to attend to town affairs: neat, orderly and prepared. If you leave things hanging they tend to come crashing down, he says. But first days on the job you can not necessarily plan. They happen. They have happened to Younger five time before as a town administrator or manager in Oak Bluffs, Norton, North Reading, Belmont and Ipswich. Each Day 1 is different. Belmont was a homecoming. It's where he grew up. Ipswich was an interim position, though he approached it like a permanent slot…

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Swampscott Stories

Younger Gets Nod for Administrator Job

Tension built this morning as selectmen gave their reasons for their choice for the new town administrator. Ultimately, the board selected Belmont resident and Ipswich Interim Town Manager Thomas Younger .

  The selectmen's chairman tipped the balance in favor of Thomas Younger today, Wednesday, when selecting a new town administrator at a 7 am meeting at Town Hall. Chairman Matt Strauss said Younger's depth and breadth of experience was the deciding factor in his choice for the second town administrator in Swampscott's history. Up until that point in the meeting, board members Jill Sullivan and Barry Greenfield had indicated their support for Younger, and selectmen David Van Dam and Rich Malagrifa had indicated support for Gerard Perry of Swampscott. Sullivan said she was impressed with Younger's communication skills, his people and managerial skills and his commitment to transparency. She said he has also worked on town revitalization …

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Selectmen Scheduled to Choose New Town Administrator Wednesday

They meet at 7 am to choose among three candidates for the opening. Patch will have immediate coverage of the results.

  The search committee's review of town administrator candidates? Check. The selectmen's public and private interviews with the finalists? Check. Check. Town administrator picked? Tomorrow. Selectmen have scheduled an unusual time to meet, 7 am, Wednesday, at Town Hall to make their selection. The three finalists are Gerard Perry of Swampscott, Christopher Senior of Port Washington, N.Y., and Thomas Younger of Belmont. Perry is director of accounts for the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Senior is the deputy town supervisor of the town of North Hempstead, NY. Younger is the interim town manager in Ipswich and previously was the town administrator in Belmont and North Reading. The Town Administrator Search Committee culled the …

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Town Administrator Interviews Underway

Selectmen on Monday interviewed two of three candidates for the open town administrator position.

  The local candidate for the open town administrator position emphasized his local ties and technical skills; and the candidate from out of state emphasized his experience and excitement for the position. On Monday at Town Hall the Board of Selectmen hosted public interviews with Gerard Perry of Swampscott and Christopher Senior of Port Washington, N.Y. On deck — to be interviewed Wednesday — is Thomas Younger of Belmont. Perry, director of accounts for the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, said the Swampscott opening is the only position for which he would be willing to leave his longtime job with the Commonwealth. He said he believes he can make things happen for his hometown. He said he has a network of connections from his 25 years…

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Town Administrator Search Committee Gets 30-Day Extension

The committee charged with recommending candidates for the open town administrator position have until mid-March to present selectmen with the names.

  The five members of the Town Administrator Search Committee have been meeting regularly since they first convened in mid-November. Their meetings will continue a bit longer than expected now that selectmen have voted to extend the committee's deadline to mid-March. The search group asked for and, on Wednesday, received a 30-day extension in their work interviewing candidates and narrowing the field to 3-5 prospects. The committee will present the candidates to selectmen. Selectmen could start reviewing the candidates as early as Feb. 29, or as late mid-March, said Selectmen Chairman Matt Strauss. Once selectmen start their review they will have 30 days to choose the next town administrator. The vacancy was created when Andrew Maylor left…

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Town Administrator Advises Committee Seeking His Replacement

Today is Town Administrator Andrew Maylor's last day on the job. Last night he met with the committee searching for his replacement, advising them on qualities to look for in candidates for the position.

  The Town Administrator's Search Committee has received 33 resumes. They will continue to accept them through Friday but last night they consulted with the current town administrator, Andrew Maylor, on the eve of his last day on the job. Maylor, who steps in as town manager in North Andover Friday, recommended that the Search Committee look for Town Hall experience in the candidates, said committee member Dana Swanstrom. He also recommended that the panel look for people who engage well with people and the job, Swanstrom said. Search Committee members said earlier that they want prospects who are well versed in financial matters. The panel's next step is to review resumes and assign candidates to committee members for phone interviews. …

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Two of Five Search Committee Members Selected

The whole Town Administrator Search Committee is expected to be in place next week.

The Finance Committee selected Cindy Merkle. The School Committee selected Neil Bernstein. Selectmen will chose their member Wednesday. Then Town Moderator Joe Markarian will choose the final two members to the panel charged with finding candidates for town administrator. The moderator said last night that he will review the selections by the other panels and choose the final two members with an eye toward a balanced search group. He will consider qualities including temperament and experience. Experience factored large in both the Finance and School Committees' choices. Finance Chairman Michael McClung said Merkle is a former chairman of both the Finance and Capital Improvement Committees. She thoroughly understands town finances and the …

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Maylor to Receive $145K Salary

His last day in his Swampscott office will be Dec. 15. He will start as town manager in North Andover the next day.

Andrew Maylor will officially start his job as North Andover's town manager on Dec. 16. And with his arrival, that position will see a large pay increase. Maylor will receive $145,000 a year. The previous salary for town manager in North Andover was $124,000. His salary in Swampscott was taken into consideration, according to Selectman Chair Tracy Watson, who served on the committee handling negotiations with Maylor. Swampscott pays Maylor a base salary of about $133,000. But Watson also pointed out that Maylor will not be receiving health insurance, and a family health plan would cost the town about $17,000 a year. Selectmen voted unanimously on Oct. 17 to appoint Maylor as the new town manager. He had also been a finalist for a town …

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