PLYMOUTH COUNTY — Oct. 23, 2026 — Commissioner Gregory Hanley took over as chair of the Plymouth County Commission on Friday after commissioners voted 2-1 to reorganize the three-member board, replacing Sandra Wright, who opened the meeting as chair. With Hanley presiding, the board put off a sick-leave and vacation payout to former County Administrator Frank Basler and approved an amended request for proposals for county audit services.
The Full Story
Reorganization was the first item when commissioners returned to open session from an executive session. On the roll call to reorganize, Commissioner Jared Valanzola voted no, and Hanley and Wright voted yes.
The presiding chair, Wright, then moved to appoint Hanley chair. When the roll call began, Valanzola objected that debate was allowed, announced a no vote on Hanley’s appointment, said the other two members had a credibility problem with the county, elected officials and the advisory board, and offered a self-nomination for chair under Robert’s Rules of Order.
This move is clearly just a maneuver of them rearranging the chairs on their own personal and political titanics.
— Jared Valanzola
A roll call on the chair followed, and no tally was announced. Hanley presided for the rest of the meeting. Remarks after the vote included a tribute to Wright’s public service and a prepared statement urging members to disagree without disrespect and to follow the board’s rules.
The Basler buyback was read into the record as an order paying $10,580.21 from the fiscal 2027 budget for sick leave and vacation time. The order stated that Basler, listed on the agenda as Francis Basler, retired as county administrator Oct. 14.
Hanley asked who had prepared the calculation and asked to see the math before voting. The new county administrator, Troy Clarkson, offered to send commissioners backup for buyback calculations and personnel forms a couple of days before each meeting. Treasurer Tom O’Brien told the board the commissioners’ office team prepared the figures and that they had been checked three times. Valanzola said this was the first time any employee’s buyback calculation had been questioned. Hanley thought he’d always seen the backup, put the item off and asked that it be the first vote on the next agenda.
The audit request for proposals drew a longer debate. Clarkson described it as an updated version of an existing template and asked for approval. O’Brien took the podium and walked through suggested corrections.
No, I was not asked to review it. I did get a copy recently. I found a number of errors and I would be more than happy to prepare a report and suggestions if you folks are interested.
— Tom O’Brien, County Treasurer (31:32)
