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Date: 3/30/2022
EAST LONGMEADOW – The East Longmeadow Town Council hashed out the requirements for the town administrator position at its meeting March 21, and settled on the same criteria used in the search that led to outgoing Town Manager Mary McNally’s hire.
Town Council Vice President Ralph Page began the March 21 meeting by reading Article 3 of the Home Rule Charter. It reads, “The town manager shall be a person of proven administrative ability, especially qualified by education and training with prior experience as a city or town manager, or an assistant city or town manager or the equivalent public or private sector level experience. The Town Council may from time to time establish such additional qualifications as deemed necessary and appropriate.”
Page said that, while the intent of the article was “black-and-white” to him, the issue of which qualifications were needed for the town manager should be codified so the town can begin its search.
The job profile that was used when McNally was hired stated, “The preferred candidate should have a bachelor’s degree, masters preferred, in public administration or a related field and experience as a city/town manager or assistant city/town manager or equivalent” and demonstrate capabilities with, “municipal finance, personnel, communications, time management, economic development and community planning.”
Town Council member Connor O’Shea said he preferred a, “more grayish interpretation.” When discussing the need for education versus experience, he said, “I wouldn’t be inclined to make it so restrictive that it has to be both of those, exactly.”
Fellow Councilor Marilyn Richards concurred. She said the right candidate may have experience working in town management, but not have the academic background. Likewise, they may have an advanced degree in municipal administration but have been working in another field.
“This is about balance,” Town Council President Michael Kane commented.
Page said the council should consider other forms of town leadership, such as mayors or deputy mayors, despite it not being spelled out in the article.
O’Shea noted different towns use various terminology for what are, essentially, the same positions. Councilor Donald Anderson added that the town’s first manager came from Connecticut, where the municipal administrative position was titled, “first selectman.”
Councilor Kathleen Hill stated, “Whomever gets this position is the CEO of East Longmeadow,” and said the gravity of that should be reflected by the candidate’s qualifications.
“Advertising will attract a certain caliber of candidate,” Richards said. It is then, “up to the search committee and then the council to appreciate what they’re offering.”
Councilor Syd Starks mentioned the Collins Center would help weed out unqualified candidates, but Page corrected that Collins does not vet the candidates. That is the job of the search committee.
The council agreed that the qualifications laid out in the application invitation that netted McNally were what they were looking for in the new town manager. Hill cautioned against using the same language as the old invitation. She said the council should be careful not to plagiarize the document because a different search firm crafted it.
Kane said he and McNally would work with the Collins Center to “fine-tune” the advertisement. Starks, Hill and Page agreed that was the best course of action. The next step will be for the council to appoint a steering committee.