Posted on: Tuesday, December 12, 2017
By DAN TOMASELLO
MELROSE — If Mayor Robert J. Dolan becomes the top municipal professional in the town of Lynnfield, the next president of the Board of Aldermen would run the city until the November 2019 election.
Dolan is a finalist for the open Lynnfield town administrator position, which was announced during Monday’s Board of Selectmen meeting. The other finalist is Lynnfield Assistant to the Administration Bob Curtin. Thirty eight people applied.
Dolan emailed the following statement to the Melrose Weekly News.
“Due to the recently announced departure of the Lynnfield town administrator, an unanticipated and unique opportunity arose for me and my family, I chose to explore the position due to the professional opportunity it presents, and I am honored to have been named a finalist for the position of Lynnfield town administrator. After much reflection, I have decided to continue on with the process. I have had the privilege of serving the citizens of Melrose for 24 years as an elected official and 16 as mayor. As the selection process continues to unfold, I will keep the citizens of Melrose up to date every step of the way.”
Dolan and Curtin are both vying to succeed Town Administrator Jim Boudreau, who is leaving town on Friday after agreeing to become Scituate’s next TA. The selectmen are scheduled to interview the finalists on Wednesday, Dec. 20, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Al Merritt Center and Cultural Center, 600 Market St., Lynnfield.
“I think they are qualified and exemplary candidates that both could serve the town well,” said Community Managing Partner Bernie Lynch, who has been assisting the selectmen and Town Administrator Screening Committee during the search process. “I think you have two excellent candidates to interview.”
Lynch said Dolan has “done an outstanding job managing the city of 28,000 citizens.”
“(Dolan) has been very successful in managing the finances of that city and working on economic development in that city,” said Lynch. “He has built a very strong organization and has an outstanding reputation in Massachusetts with the other cities and towns. He is very knowledgeable about this region, and works cooperatively with the communities in this area.”
In an interview with the Melrose Weekly News, Curtin thanked the Screening Committee and Lynch for naming him as one of the two finalists.
“I am very gratified to be selected as a finalist by the Screening Committee and I want to thank Bernie Lynch and his team,” said Curtin. “I am excited and I am looking forward to interviewing with the board.”
Curtin has served as the assistant to the administration for the past eight years, and was recently appointed interim town administrator by the selectmen. He previously served as editor of The Lynnfield Weekly News from 1985 until 2009.
“Mr. Curtin was very impressive to the Screening Committee with the skills and the knowledge that he has about the town of Lynnfield,” said Lynch. “He has been in the position here for approximately eight years and has extensive experience with the town before that in his prior experience as a journalist covering the town of Lynnfield.”
Lynch noted 38 applicants applied for the TA job, which was narrowed down to four hopefuls.
“I am very pleased with the results and I think the Screening Committee, which has done quite a bit of work over the last couple of weeks, is very pleased with the results,” said Lynch. “We had a very good response with the 38 resumes. The fact Lynnfield was able to get 38 qualified candidates is a complement to the town of Lynnfield and the process that we used.”
Lynch said the Screening Committee interviewed four candidates on Saturday, Dec. 9. He said three finalists were selected for the TA job, but said one of the finalists withdrew from consideration on Monday.
“It’s not unusual for a candidate to make a decision to stay where they are for a variety of reasons,” said Lynch.
The town administrator job has an advertised salary of $160,000 plus. Boudreau’s current salary is $187,000. Dolan made $132,000 as Melrose mayor in 2016.
On January 8, Dolan’s current mayoral term will be in its third of four years. According to the city charter, if a vacancy occurs in the office of mayor in either of the final two years of the term, the term is to be completed by the president of the Board of Aldermen.
With current aldermanic President Donald Conn Jr. ousted in last month’s city election, the aldermen caucused recently and nominated Alderman-at-Large Michael Zwirko to be the next head of the board. However, that is a non-binding nomination and won’t be finalized until the aldermen meet the night elected officials are sworn into new terms on January 8.
Everything depends on whether the Lynnfield selectmen choose Dolan as the next administrator. It they do, then things get really interesting in Melrose.
Lynnfield Selectmen Chairman Chris Barrett said Curtin and Dolan are “two outstanding individuals for us to consider.” He thanked the Screening Committee for their assistance during the process. He also thanked the residents who gave him feedback about the qualities they would like to see in the next TA.
“Lynnfield is moving in the right direction and I think these two individuals for us to consider will help us continue moving in the right direction,” said Barrett.
Selectman Dick Dalton agreed.
“We have two outstanding candidates to consider,” said Dalton.
Selectman Phil Crawford echoed Barrett and Dalton’s viewpoint.
“I think we have some excellent finalists and we will certainly do our due diligence between now and the interview process,” said Crawford.
