New contract for McInerney; assistant’s lobbying for support comes under question
Town Administrator Tim McInerney was signed to a new contract through 2024 during a contentious Select Board meeting that found Peter Carlson and Ed Prisby arguing for the decision to be postponed for a week while Donna Stock, Doreen DeFazio and Jennifer Thomas urged immediate action.
Ethics questions were also raised about Assistant Town Administrator Rebecca Meekins’ use of her town email to urge town employees to send letters supporting McInerney to the Select Board.
All this happened 11 years to the day of McInerney’s original contract.
Contract Terms
The Select Board held an executive session prior to the meeting to finalize the major points of McInerney’s contract, which includes:
- No raise for the first year of the contract, keeping his base pay at $147,500 plus additional compensation (a car, insurance, other benefits) that brings his total package to $180,045.
- A change in his severance clause. Should the board dismiss him without cause, he would now receive one year’s pay instead of the current six months
- In the second year in his contract, he is eligible for a raise in salary of up to 8.5 percent.
- In the third and fourth years, his salary would rise by no more than 5 percent.
Select Board Chairperson Thomas said McInerney asked to begin contract negotiations back in December and stressed that such contracts are usually started early.
“I want our town administrator to commit to Grafton… we can’t ask for him to commit to us if we don’t commit to him,” Thomas said. “We are in a time of crisis, so why would be change the town administrator who responds to this crisis?”
Carlson, who earlier in the meeting had spent nearly an hour reading aloud letters from residents who were both for and against extending McInerney’s contract, suggested that the board table the contract question until next week’s meeting. It was 11 p.m., the contract had not been released to the public, and there was no rush, he said.
“The public does not get input on this contract…. that’s why it’s in executive session,” DeFazio said.
Thomas and Stock also said the contract will not be a public record until it is approved by the Select Board, leaving no reason to delay the vote.
Prisby said the contract would be unfair to both the public and to town employees who will be going without raises. He cited the uncertain fiscal climate caused by COVID-19 and two upcoming big budget items: a $4 million Proposition 2 1/2 override for schools and public safety and two Town Meeting articles that would create a $2.6 million Super Park.
“It signals to me that we don’t talk enough about priorities on this board,” Prisby said.
This was the point where he took out and read Meekins’ letter, referring to it as employee intimidation and vowing to start an investigation.
A letter to town employees
Meekins’ letter was sent at 8:25 a.m. from her work email to an internal list of town employees.
“As many of you may be aware, Tim’s contract renewal is on the agenda tonight. We have received a handful of emails from citizens voicing their displeasure at Tim receiving a contract renewal. Many of the emails, though well-intentioned, are grossly in accurate. I am asking all of you if you would be willing to either sign on to the letter I’ve drafted in support of Tim or draft your own letter…if you would rather not send in a letter that’s completely okay too.”
Meekins said McInerney was personally supportive of her and gave her opportunities to grow as an employee. She added she was not making the request as assistant town administrator but as “someone who supports Tim and who has continually supported by him.”
The letter appears to be in violation of state ethics laws, which prohibit the use of taxpayer-funded resources (such as email, a town-owned computer, or information gathered from public employment) for political reasons.
Meekins apologized for the letter, saying she wrote it outside of business hours to a handful of employees who work closely with the town administrator’s office.
DeFazio saw the letter as proof that McInerney is a good manager, since even the employee who works closest with him had nothing but praise. Stock suggested that the letters against McInerney also suggested a coordinated effort.
Like Grafton Common? Help support us on Ko-fi.
