It came as a surprise to Selectmen Jordan Collyer and Paul Silva, as well as Town Administrator Michael Gagne, when, after adjournment of the September 24 meeting of the Board of Selectmen and just before calling executive session, Selectman Tyler Macallister said he had to recuse himself. Macallister then presented the board with a letter of resignation and is tossing his hat in the ring for the position of town administrator.
“It is with great hesitation [that I submit] this letter of resignation effective immediately pursuant to MGL 268A section 21A. I appreciate and have enjoyed the 8+ years we have worked together to make Mattapoisett a better place and wish you the best of luck moving forward. Have a great day!”
In a follow-up, Collyer said he was surprised, but then went on to explain that Massachusetts Law allows an elected official to be considered for employment with the town after a 30 day “cooling off period”.
An initial pool of candidates for the town administrator position was selected by a search committee, but the frontrunner for the job went on to accept an offer from another town before the second round of interviews with the Board of Selectmen. Shortly thereafter, the selectmen, including Macallister, decided to start the search again, only this time with the assistance of a professional search consultant to help the town find qualified candidates.
“Nothing would change,” said Collyer on the search process. “We have a robust process in place, but no candidates.” Collyer said that Macallister would have to follow the process just as other candidates will.
“We didn’t expect this,” Collyer said. “We are not breaking stride,” he said regarding the screening process. While the town will be using a professional search firm, Collyer said it would also repost the job. “We have to do what’s best for the town.”
“It changes nothing,” Selectman Paul Silva told The Wanderer. “We were surprised as we went into executive session.”
Silva said Macallister’s qualifications would be evaluated along with any other candidates that are advanced for the selectmen to interview.
Gagne said that the Request for Proposals from professional search firms was posted with a deadline of October 10. He said that a decision to select a firm would happen sometime in November.
Gagne confirmed that final candidate interviews are not likely to take place until January. His retirement was to have begun in mid-October, but he will remain in place until a successful candidate is chosen.
Calls and texts from The Wandererto Macallister elicited the following text response: “I am not commenting on my decision to resign from the board at this time.”
As well as serving on the Board of Selectman, Macallister served on the Conservation Commission for five years and also on the Plymouth County Advisory Board.
Macallister was reelected to the Board of Selectmen unopposed in 2017. His term would expire in 2020.
Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen
By Marilou Newell