Grafton Town Administrator Brassard will receive $160K, lower compensation than McInerney

Incoming Town Administrator Evan Brassard will start at a salary of $160,000, with lower annual raises than his predecessor, according to the three-year contract approved by Select Board Tuesday.

Brassard also, unlike former Town Administrator Tim McInerney, will not receive a year’s salary should he be dismissed before his contract is complete. His compensation would be no more than three months.

Brassard, now town administrator in Monson, was chosen earlier this month for the Grafton top spot. In July 2020, McInerney and the Select Board announced a mutual parting of the ways after nearly a decade. The town has been helmed by Temporary Town Administrator Carter Terenzini since August.

The contract carries a three-year term and runs through February 28, 2024. Brassard, who starts Feb. 2, will receive $160,000 annually, with increases of 2 percent and a vehicle allowance of $400. Select Board member Ed Prisby, who took part in the negotiations along with Select Board member Mathew Often, said the town will save more than $20,000 in compensation savings versus McInerney’s contract.

“I’m excited,” Prisby said. “I definitely feel we got our guy.”

More than 30 people applied for the job, with seven ultimately interviewed by the Town Administrator Screening Committee and three finalists brought before Select Board.