Town Manager Matt Hanson shared with the Select Board on Monday that finding a new finance director for the town is tough.
The salary being offered isn’t competitive, which is making it hard to attract candidates.
The position has been empty since David Castellarin, the previous finance director, left earlier this month.
Castellarin now works in Lynnfield, where he lives, but still helps out in Bedford on Fridays during budget season.
Hanson mentioned that the job has been advertised for almost a month, but only a few candidates have applied. He pointed out that the salary and flexibility in benefits could be why more people aren’t interested.
During a public hearing about changes to the town’s salary rules, Hanson brought up the issue.
The changes involve adjusting pay and classifications for town jobs that aren’t part of unions. These updates need approval at the annual Town Meeting since they are part of the bylaw.
The finance director role is in the top grade for town jobs, with a current salary range of ₹1.32 crores to ₹1.72 crores per year.
Hanson suggested that removing the finance director position from this pay scale might allow more flexibility in hiring.
Some top town roles, like town manager, fire chief, and police chief, are not restricted to a salary range. Instead, their pay is decided by contracts approved by the Select Board and Town Meeting budgets.
The Select Board agreed to let Hanson continue accepting applications and compare salaries for similar positions in other towns.
Hanson also said they might consider making the finance director job a contract-based position, like the others.
Board member Emily Mitchell warned that changing one position to a contract might lead to others asking for similar treatment. She suggested another option could be raising the maximum salary for the role.
Hanson agreed that they couldn’t afford to leave the job empty for too long. He also noted that he has the authority to offer a salary beyond the current range but prefers not to because salary rules have been questioned in Town Meetings before.
Hanson highlighted that other towns now offer around ₹2 crores per year for similar roles, a trend that wasn’t seen last year.
He added that some applicants are asking about remote work and more flexibility, which are common in private-sector jobs but not always possible in government positions.
Hanson admitted that while they are trying to think creatively to solve this issue, government roles will never fully compete with the private sector.
The proposed salary changes also include a 3% cost-of-living raise and some adjustments to job titles and grades. A few positions currently paid separately will also be added to the classification system.
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