Halifax Seeks Interim Town Administrator, Forms Override Study Committee
Board moves to fill leadership gap as current administrator prepares to depart; new committee will examine town finances and potential tax override
HALIFAX - June 10 - The Halifax Board of Selectmen is advertising for an interim Town Administrator position as current Administrator Cody Haddad prepares to leave his post next month.
The board voted Tuesday to post the position with applications due in two weeks, creating a tight timeline to find temporary leadership for the town.
"My last day in the office is July 8th. I'm taking a couple weeks vacation," Haddad told the board. "That's a long time to not have steady leadership in the day-to-day operations."
The interim administrator will bridge the gap until a permanent replacement is found, which Haddad estimates could take until November.
"You're looking at a few month process," Haddad explained. "If you extend an offer in August, which is aggressive, but I think you can do it, you're looking at September, October, sometime November."
The board discussed whether to simply post the position or assign someone directly, with Chair Jonathan Selig expressing concern about losing valuable time.
"If we post it, we might get maybe some more applications, but that's gonna stall the process out. That's gonna cost us, I would say, at least a month to get somebody in here," Selig said.
The board ultimately decided to advertise the position while continuing to put out feelers through their search consultant, Bernie Lynch of Community Paradigm.
Selectman Thomas Pratt emphasized the importance of finding the right candidate rather than rushing the process. "Let's not get caught up in the semantics of it. Let's get the applicant in here and depending on the applicant's qualifications and the appetite of the enthusiasm of the board," he said.
The interim position will likely be paid hourly, with the board agreeing to list the salary as "competitive" rather than specifying an amount.
In a related move, the board is also establishing a screening committee for the permanent Town Administrator search. This committee will likely include five to seven members, with some positions reserved for town officials and others open to residents at large.
"I think it would be foolish not to include everybody available in the process," Pratt said.
The board will accept applications from residents interested in serving on the screening committee, with those forms due by June 30.
In another significant action, the board unanimously approved the creation of an Override Study Committee to examine the town's financial situation and potential need for a tax override.
The five-member committee will include representatives from the Board of Selectmen, Finance Committee, School Committee, Silver Lake School Committee, and one member at large.
"The ability to call for an override falls solely on the Board of Selectmen, so I think this is a great way for us to make a very informed decision if and when we get to that point next year," Selig said.
The committee is charged with nine main goals, including:
- Determining the structural budget gap for fiscal year 2027 and beyond
- Examining school enrollment projections and associated costs
- Assessing options for implementing efficiencies within town departments
- Exploring potential non-override revenue sources
- Benchmarking town programs against comparable municipalities
- Analyzing the impact of increased taxes on residents
- Prioritizing programs for funding
- Analyzing the impact of a failed override
The committee will provide a report to the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee by January 31, 2026.
"I think it's equally important that we understand it but be able to educate the masses at large," Pratt said. "The more background that we have and the town has, the committee members have, just makes us all that more informed and able to explain it, pros and cons, to the public."
The board decided to wait until July to advertise for the member-at-large position to avoid competing with other town openings.
Other business addressed at the meeting included:
- Appointing four new members to the Historical Commission
- Approving vacation carryover requests for highway department employees
- Reassigning Board of Selectmen liaisons to various town committees
- Discussing several vacant positions in town, including openings in the fire department, library, and assessor's office
- Addressing midterm vacancies on the School Committee, Planning Board, and Finance Committee
Selig also provided an update on the Silver Lake Regional Regionalization Study Committee, noting that the group is in the "data collection process" regarding potential regionalization of schools.
"We will have the Collins Center in, I believe it's the 18th next week, for them to make a presentation as to what the scope of their study will be," Selig said.
The next Board of Selectmen meeting is scheduled for July 8, which will be Haddad's final meeting before his departure.