The Next Step In Doing The Job

Ken O’Brien

At Monday night’s joint meeting of the Town Council and the School Committee, committee member Jill Congdon made a succinct observation.

“A School Committee member’s primary responsibilities are policy, budget and overseeing the Superintendent “she noted.

Substitute the term ‘Town Manager” for “Superintendent” and one could make the same statement about the Town Council with equal validity.

This year for the first time in memory the Council took the step of instituting a budgetary practice commensurate with that in virtually every business and household. It took the (for a governmental body) extraordinary action of imposing a limit on spending before establishing a budget.

Regarding A New Town Manager

Ken O’Brien

As the chairman of the last Town Manager Search Committee that resulted in the selection of Christopher Clark, I must compliment the work done by the newest such committee.

They have provided the town with three prospects, any one of whom would appear to be an appropriate choice.

In reviewing the candidates I have not found anything in their backgrounds that would constitute a bar to their assuming the position of our next chief executive officer.