[R]UTLAND TOWN — That didn’t take long.
Just days after holding a meeting to hear the pros and cons of various forms of municipal government, the town’s Selectboard decided it isn’t the right time to make a change.
The five-member board voted 4-1 this week to keep the current town administrator form of government.
The board had been looking at different municipal government structures in the wake of the firing of Town Administrator Joseph Zingale in September.
Mary Ashcroft, who suggested the board look at other forms of government, cast the lone dissenting vote this week. She could not immediately be reached Wednesday for comment.
“We decided the best governance system for the town of Rutland is what we know, and that is having the administrator form of government. That has proven to be successful,” Josh Terenzini, the board chair, said Wednesday. “There’s no reason to fix something that isn’t broken.”
A major difference between the town manager and town administrator forms of government is that the powers of the town manager are laid out in state statute.
For example, a town manager has the authority to hire and fire town employees. Also, in the town manager form of government the Selectboard serves in a more policy-setting role, with the manager charged with implementing that policy.
There is no such clear definition of powers for a town administrator. Instead, the assigning of duties and tasks for a town administrator is in the hands of the Selectboard.
Terenzini said Wednesday the town, with a population of about 4,100, has a long history with the administrator form of government.
“It’s always been the attitude of the selectmen they were hands-on and wanted to be involved in many facets of municipal government,” the board chairman said. “The majority of the board felt that we could be more useful by not just being a policy-setting board.”
Terenzini said the board is finishing up developing the job description for the town administrator position and will work with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns in advertising for candidates.
There have been changes to the job description from past practice. For example, Terenzini said, the town administrator had handled water and sewer issues. Now the board is assigning those duties to the public works commissioner, Byron Hathaway.
The next administrator’s duties will include office and clerical responsibilities, grant writing, serving as a liaison with regional organizations, working with economic development groups, and website management, the board chairman said.
No salary range has been determined, Terenzini said. The last town administrator had a salary of a little under $80,000.
In firing Zingale, the last town administrator, the board cited “gross misconduct” and “insubordination,” declining to provide more specifics. Zingale had worked more than 30 years for the town.
Zingale responded last month by suing the town, alleging wrongful termination.
