WINCHENDON—Officials have begun the search for the community’s next town manager.
In early May, the Middleton Select Board approved a contract with Winchendon Town Manager Justin Sultzbach to be its next town administrator. His first day in Middleton will be on July 10, and his final day in Winchendon will be July 6. Prior to working in Winchendon, Sultzbach was the assistant town administrator for Tyngsboro.
Sultzbach has been in Winchendon since 2021, and said the time was right for a change and that Middleton was a better opportunity. Another factor in the decision was the commute, as Sultzbach lives in Lowell and travels an hour each way to work. Lastly, he sees Middleton as a place where he can get things done. Among the projects currently underway there are construction of a new town hall, senior center and public safety facility.
“I don’t want to warm a seat somewhere,” he said. “I want to make a difference.”
Winchendon was a familiar area for Sultzbach as he had gone to school nearby, and over the last two years he feels that a lot has been accomplished, such at getting the sewer and water accounts out of a negative balance. He cited the town’s new $4 million community arts center, which opens this weekend, as another goal met during his tenure, along with a massive rebuilding of Center Street and the Old Murdock Senior Center. Sultzbach credits his team with the many accomplishments
“They (the team) did a lot in a short amount of time,” said Sultzbach.
With Sultzbach’s departure just a month away, Selectboard Chair Audrey LaBrie said the search process will begin with an interim town manager, which the board will hire directly. Thus far, two applicants have submitted their resumes for the position and these will be reviewed during an executive session at the board’s June 12 meeting.
“We’re hoping to have the interim (town manager) in place, ideally before the end of June,” LaBrie said.
While this is happening, the search for a full-time town manager is in its early stages. LaBrie said a consulting company should be contracted by late June or early July to lead the search, utilizing a number of services such as the Mass Municipal Association. It’s expected that the search will take three to six months, with the goal of making an offer to the next town manager in the fall or winter.
LaBrie said candidates with a strong economic development background and a keen eye for financials are preferred, along with experience as a town administrator or manager. That being said, it won’t be a simple matter of hiring the person with the longest resume. When Sultzbach was hired, LaBrie said there were more seasoned applicants who applied.
“We try to go into these discussions without a fixed mindset and try to be open about it,” she said.
Max Bowen can be reached at mbowen@recorder.com or 413-930-4074.
