Article 20 asked voters to amend a wage and personnel bylaw creating a salary range for professional positions, including a part-time hourly rate for a building inspector, and a new position of assistant town administrator with a salary range from $45,00-$66,000.

Residents expressed concern with the wording of the article which stated, “No additional personnel will be added to the office [of town administrator.] The current position of executive assistant to the Board of Selectmen will become vacant.”

Some voters feared this would mean there would be three positions in the office: executive assistant to the Board of Selectmen, town administrator and the new position of assistant town administrator, although the executive assistant position would not be filled.

The understanding was that once a new town administrator was hired, the acting town administrator would not return to the position of executive assistant, but rather be hired as the assistant town administrator.

Selectman Jim Armstrong said like every position, the job would have to be posted and the board would have to go through a hiring process.

Resident Pat Faiella proposed an amendment to the article to change the wording to say: “The current position of executive assistant to the Board of Selectmen will be eliminated,” rather than “vacant.”

Joe Baker asked if the motion passed, would the town be left with an assistant town administrator position and town administrator position only.

He asked what would happen if the person in the interim town administrator position was not hired as the new assistant town administrator.

“This seems like it’s all a set up,” he said.

Baker said that residents know what a great job the acting town administrator has done over the years and that they have no doubt that she is not going anywhere. He said he doesn’t see the town hiring someone from outside and paying them $66,000.

“That would be foolish on our part to hire someone at the top of the range,” Chairman of the Board of Selectmen Jim Egan said.

The salary for the executive assistant position is currently $44,235 and Baker said if the acting town administrator was placed in the assistant town administrator position it would be a $15,000 raise.

“We are saying [to other town employees] we would not give any more than a three percent raise, but the possibility is here for much more than three percent,” Baker said.

 “Currently our executive assistant is the acting town administrator, we understanding that we are getting a good deal since she is sitting in that seat,” Egan said.

The interim town administrator is currently receiving a salary of $60,000 per year.

A resident suggested that the town pay her the prorated town administrator salary while she is in the role of town administrator, which is $90,000, and then drop her pay back down when she returns to her original position.

“The reason why we are trying to create a new position is because the work load is greater,” Egan said. “We need to change this position so it can accomplish those duties required. We’re not just saying because Merry does a great job lets reward her.”

“It’s not just a promotion for the sake of giving a promotion to reward good behavior,” he added.

The Board of Selectmen recommended this article 5-0 and the Finance Committee recommended 3-2-1.

Finance Committee member Sean Kealy said that he voted not to recommend this article for three reasons: that it would create an additional position, that the  town had a wage freeze and that he felt the new town administrator should have a say in how the office is run.

If the new position isn’t added, board members said that the acting town administrator would retroactively be paid the pro-rated $90,000.

Residents said the article was worded incorrectly and was a surprise to them.

Baker accused the Board of Selectman of not putting all the information in the hands of the voters.

For over an hour, residents asked questions on the consequences and possible outcomes based on the passage or defeat of the proposed motions. After a lengthy, at times heated discussion, residents defeated the amendment to eliminate the executive secretary position 89 to 63.

Vanessa Means then made a motion to amend Article 20, eliminating the new position of assistant town administrator. The motion prevailed. Article 20 was then accepted as amended.