Published in the December 12, 2017 edition.

By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD – Stephen P. Maio will be at the helm of the Town of Wakefield for at least the next five years, after the Board of Selectmen voted last night to extend his contract as Town Administrator until June 30, 2022.

Maio has held the position for nine years, succeeding Thomas Butler as Town Administrator. Maio’s previous contract was set to expire on June 30, 2018. The board has held several executive sessions recently to discuss contract negotiations.

The new contract will increase Maio’s base salary by $20,000 to $185,000 annually. Board members said that the increase was to bring his salary into line with town administrator/manager positions in comparable communities.

The new contract also calls for an annual 3 percent increase to take effect on June 30 of each year.

In addition, the ability to accumulate sick time was added to Maio’s contract, a benefit that all other town employees already enjoy.

Board members indicated that the new contract was in part an effort to keep Maio in Wakefield by providing him with an employment package that was comparable to what other towns are offering. 

Selectman Tony Longo maintained that the market for good town administrators was “very competitive. We’re lucky to have Steve.”

Selectman Peter May called Town Administrator “one of the most critical positions in town. I know other communities have looked for ways to try to take Steve Maio away from us.”

May added that Maio “runs the town very efficiently” and is always available to the public and to board members. May called the new agreement “a good, fair contract.”

Board member Ann Santos noted that Maio has in the past turned down raises that the board had offered him. She maintained that the new contract brought Maio to where he should be in relation to other town administrators. Santos observed that having a Town Administrator with a law degree was also an advantage to the town.

“Wakefield’s success is utterly Steve’s doing,” Santos said. “He is vested in this town. He breathes Wakefield. This is a no brainer. We are rewarding someone who will give it back in spades to this town, so I am comfortable supporting this contract.”

Chairman Paul DiNocco focused on Maio’s fiscal management skills, noting that he had brought the town from $1.5 million in Free Cash to over $7 million. DiNocco recalled that health insurance costs “were killing the town” until Maio steered the town toward the GIC.

The Board of Selectmen’s vote to approve a five-year extension to Maio’s contract was unanimous.

Maio thanked the board for the its support over the years.

“This really is a labor of love,” he said. He also thanked town department heads, Administrative Secretary Sherri Dalton and “the people of Wakefield.”