Select Board set $160,000 salary for next Grafton Town Administrator
The job description for Grafton’s next town administrator will be posted Friday with a recommended salary of $160,000.
That price tag was determined by the Select Board Thursday night while meeting with Community Paradigm Associates, the recruitment firm hired by the town.
The salary, which does not include allowances for travel or other common items, is a bit higher than the $155,000 initially recommended by Community Paradigm’s Bernie Lynch based on the salaries of administrators in comparable towns. Those ranged from $116,616 for Milford to $188,400 for Westborough.
“Plus or minus,” Lynch said. “We like just putting one number out there. That attracts attention.”
Given the scope of Grafton’s needs as a community in transition, Select Board member Ed Prisby suggested bumping up Lynch’s salary suggestion to $160,000. The increase was agreed upon by the rest of the board, with Doreen DeFazio suggesting that a higher salary could mean less negotiation with the ideal candidate.
“This is still cheaper than the deal we just left,” Prisby said.
That would be the contract of former Town Administrator Tim McInerney, who separated from the town back in July. McInerney’s base salary was $147,500 but his most recent contract — approved early by a split Select Board prior to the last election — included deferred compensation, a generous salary boost over the next few years, and a clause demanding a full year’s salary be paid should he be removed from office.
McInerney received $147,500 on separation, plus $20,664.32, the balance of his 252 hours of untaken vacation leave.
Lynch said candidates have until November 16 to apply and resumes will then pass to the screening committee.
