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Date: 4/25/2023
LUDLOW — The Board of Selectmen named Elsa Barros as the new treasurer/collector and Jamie Tomas as the new DPW director after hosting interviews at its April 18 meeting.
The treasurer/collector position was approved by voters at town election, combining the elected treasurer and elected collector into one appointed position.
The past collector, Fred Pereira, retired after nearly 40 years at the position and combining the two positions saved the town approximately $150,000 each year according to Town Administrator Marc Strange.
Barros was the town treasurer before the position was combined with the collector position.
She added, “I am honored to be given the opportunity to take on this role. It will not be an easy task, but I will do the best I can and give it 110%. There is a lot to do. Fred used to do a wonderful job.”
Selectman Manny Silva asked if Barros is ready to take on the responsibilities for both positions.
Barros said that all she must do is take courses to be a certified collector but learned a lot from Pereira.
Barros added, “There is a lot of updating to be done and modernizing the office. We still have a lot of taxpayers who like to pay their bill in person. Just from the election there are stacks and stacks and stacks of bills.”
She added her biggest challenge would be changing some areas of the office to “bring it up to the 21st century” to be able to do both jobs.
The Board of Selectmen and Barros discussed alleviating some work to make it less stressful.
Silva thinks it would be easier if the DPW office could collect the funds for trash or other items and bring them to Barros and her office.
Barros added, “One of the things I have already looked at is the cemetery bills. If they can input them, collect the money and bring me a deposit, that would help so much. As well as the trash bill. That would also alleviate a lot of the traffic in there. We are down to two ladies and that is a lot. It will just take time to implement.”
The Board of Selectmen said they are appreciative of Barros for taking on a bigger role and excited that she has a plan to improve the department.
The board then interviewed Tomas for the vacant DPW director position.
The position became vacant on March 22 when former DPW Director Lee Corbert was fired by the Board of Public Works in an executive session less than three months after being hired.
Tomas, who was named the new facilities and grounds director in December 2022, said that he is ready for a bigger role.
He said, “I’ve been with the town now for 13 years. Thirteen of those years was at the DPW and then I took on the facilities director position. I really enjoyed it and got to see another part of the town that I didn’t know existed, but I have a lot of experience with the DPW. I really think that place needs a little bit of help and guidance, and I am willing to take that challenge to get in there and start working again.”
Over the last few months, residents and the Board of Selectmen have expressed concerns with the current state of the DPW.
Some concerns stated at meetings involve turnover caused by low morale, making it almost impossible to conduct business.
A ballot question at the most recent town election asked if the Board of Selectmen should take over as the acting BPW and voters agreed they should.
Tomas is hoping to fix the problem with morale and be able to build up the department and focus on fixing problems in the town.
He added that he thinks the DPW is a great department with a core group of workers who are willing to work.
Selectman Derek DeBarge said this is an opportunity for the board to add a DPW director that knows the job and town well but can also communicate with employees to provide the services of the DPW to the town.
“You bring an interesting dynamic to this and that is respect from the employees or from the crew. That is key. This has nothing to do with the director’s previous to this I think it has everything to do with the atmosphere of the total circumstance of the board members, the directors they hired and the way they acted with their director and employees,” DeBarge added.
Selectman Tony Goncalves said not only does the town save money by combining the treasurer/collector and taking over the BPW but it also streamlines the process to make the town better.
Strange added that he would like to talk to Tomas and see if the DPW can absorb the work of the facilities director into the department and create a facilities and grounds division within the DPW.
Tomas said, “The main goal is to get away from all the confusion and get back to reality in putting everyone together again and get the job done. Making the department what we need and what we are, the Department of Public Works and move forward.”