Swampscott Town Administrator Thomas Younger has accepted the same position in Stoneham. Courtesy Photo
By Gayla Cawley
SWAMPSCOTT — Town Administrator Thomas Younger appears to be headed to Stoneham after all.
Younger said he has accepted the administrator job in Stoneham, pending contract negotiations, after Stoneham officials contacted him Monday night with an offer. A start date has not been set. But one will be agreed upon after Younger and the Stoneham Board of Selectmen negotiate a contract. He will remain a Swampscott resident.
“I’m excited with the opportunity,” Younger said. “I have enjoyed my time in Swampscott. … This is a challenge and an opportunity I’m looking forward to in Stoneham.”
Younger said he was drawn to Stoneham partly because he spent a good deal of his professional career in the area, including a stint as town manager in nearby North Reading
He said Stoneham has an interesting mix of residential and commercial property and is looking forward to working closer on local projects with state agencies.
Some challenges Younger said he expects to face in Stoneham include addressing town growth, financial issues and improving communication with the public through technology.
Younger said he is proud of the goals set and accomplished during his time in Swampscott. He said he is confident progress in Swampscott will continue with a new administrator and the team that’s currently in place.
Younger’s departure has a surprise element because Stoneham selectmen announced on Monday that their original choice for the town administrator position, Jeffrey Towne, rescinded his acceptance of the job he was offered last month. Towne notified the selectmen on Friday that he was backing out for personal reasons, according to a board statement.
Towne resigned from his position as Natick’s deputy town administrator and finance director, effective last Friday, according to Richard Tranfaglia, Natick’s human resources director.
The Stoneham board voted 4 to 1 on Monday to authorize their attorneys to contact Younger, the runner up for the job, and offer him the vacant town administrator position, according to Thomas Boussy, a selectman.
“As far as Thomas Younger was concerned, the board liked him very much during the interviews, but it was just that Jeff Towne interviewed extremely well that night,” he said.
The third finalist for the position was Sean Fitzgerald, town manager for Plaistow, New Hampshire. Robert Markel, the interim town administrator will stay on at least through Labor Day, Boussy said. Stoneham has been without a town administrator since June when the board failed to renew David Ragucci’s contract. Markel had been in place since then.
Naomi Dreeben, chairwoman of the Swampscott board of selectmen, said the board will have a transition period, as Younger is required to give 90 days notice, which includes the roughly six weeks he will remain as Swampscott administrator.
The board will bring in an interim town administrator while a search committee is assembled to find a replacement.
Younger’s contract would have been up for renewal this year and the board would have been required to make a renewal decision by Jan. 1. His term was set to end next July, after the fiscal year is up, Dreeben said.
Dreeben said she would have liked to see Younger stay in Swampscott.
“I understand this is an excellent opportunity for Tom,” she said. “He has helped Swampscott make significant progress in Town Hall operations and staffing. I have had a great working relationship with him and appreciate all he has done for our town.”
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.