Haddad censured for support of Select Board candidates

Grafton Finance Committee member Mark Haddad, town manager of Groton, was publicly censured by the International City Management Association for his endorsement of three Grafton Select Board candidates during the 2018 and 2020 town elections.

In addition, the ICMA determined Haddad broke its Code of Ethics by serving on Grafton’s Finance Committee, suggesting the position “could serve to publicly undermine (the Grafton town administrator’s) budget proposals that would reflect poorly on the local government management profession.”

Haddad was unavailable for comment. This story will be updated.

In a news release sent by the Washington, DC-based group, ICMA announced a review by its Committee on Professional Conduct (CPC) determined Haddad would be publicly censured and suspended from membership for three years. Members are expected to remain politically neutral and “refrain from any political activities that could undermine public confidence such as candidate endorsements and financial contributions.”

Haddad, recently chair of the Finance Committee, openly endorsed the Select Board candidacies for Mathew Often and Colleen Roy in 2020 and Dennis Perron in 2018, donating to Roy’s campaign. Often and Roy had served with Haddad on the Finance Committee.

“Based on the CPC’s review of information Mr. Haddad provided, the CPC concluded that Mr. Haddad’s service on the finance committee placed him in the position to contact and work with the incumbent town administrator’s employees as well as provide recommendations and budgetary amendments that could serve to publicly undermine his colleague’s budget proposals that would reflect poorly on the local government management profession,” the release stated. “The Board concurred with the CPC’s determination that it is a conflict of interest for a Massachusetts manager to serve on a local government finance committee with a statutory role in the community where the manager resides.”

Haddad has served as Groton town manager since 2008, and recently served on the search committee that recommended town administrator finalists, including new Town Administrator Evan Brassard.

Editor’s note: Named the wrong candidate Haddad endorsed in 2018 in an initial draft. It has been corrected.

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