The Board of Selectmen narrowed the pool of town administrator applicants from 18 to six, it reported Tuesday night, and then to two based on interviews over the past six weeks. The final candidates are Tim Bragan, Sterling’s town administrator, and James Duggan, who works for the Office of Community Development in Gloucester. Bragan and Duggan are competing for Town Administrator Paul Cohen job. Cohen’s last day on the job will be Friday, Nov. 24.
The finalists are scheduled to visit Harvard Monday to meet with town employees and tour various departments to develop a sense of the town. Town employees will report their impressions of the two candidates to the selectmen, for their use in making a decision.
Despite the imminent tour, Selectman Lucy Wallace told her colleagues that the town administrator applicants represented a “very different candidate pool” and that their resumes present an incomplete picture of what the applicants would bring to the job. Citing the “fluid market,” she reminded her colleagues that they do not have to rush into filling the position. This prompted Chairman Randy Dean to ask Wallace if she were “back peddling.” Last time town administrator candidates were interviewed, she replied, the selectmen had a longer period of time to decide.
According to Cohen, both candidates are very clear on the salary, contract, and benefits offered by the town and both can start within 30 days.
The Board of Selectmen will consider naming a new town administrator at its next meeting, December 5.
