READING, MA — The Select Board was deadlocked on selecting a new town manager at its meeting Wednesday. At the same meeting, the board chair recused herself from the vote and resigned.
Select Board Chair Jacqueline McCarthy started the meeting saying that she spoke about one of the candidates with another board member. McCarthy also said she had a text conversation with another board member about a candidate.
“I violated the open meeting law,” she said. “I let you down. I let myself down, and I’m sorry.”
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She then recused herself from “the rest of this process” and from voting on the new town manager.
McCarthy then announced she would be resigning from the board due to unrelated circumstances as of Wednesday. She described it as “a difficult decision.”
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The board then discussed hiring a new town manager.
Vice Chair Mark Dockser chose candidate Matt Coogan as his top choice.
“He’s demonstrated the leadership skills needed to do this,” Dockser said. He said Coogan’s references described him as “a creative problem-solver” and that he believed Coogan would bring the community together. Dockser said Clancy Main was his second choice.
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Member Karen Herrick also chose Coogan. She said that with “the projects in front of us” including building an elementary school and senior center, potentially at the same time, a candidate with a strong understanding of finance would be required. Herrick also chose Main as her second choice.
However, Member Christopher Haley chose acting Town Manager Matt Kraunelis as his top candidate.
“I see things as completely different,” Haley said. He said that Kraunelis has been invested in Reading for the last decade. Haley said Kraunelis would bring “stability to the process.”
Member Carlo Bacci also supported Kraunelis.
“All four [candidates] are qualified. But for me, Matt Kraunelis is ready for the job,” Bacci said.
The board was unable to come to a conclusion on the next town manager, locked with two in favor of Coogan and two in favor of Kraunelis.
A special meeting is planned for Tuesday at 6 p.m. Dockser said they would “have to make a decision” at the meeting.
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