Set to begin the job in two weeks, newly hired Town Administrator Scott Butcher has been spending the interim getting a feel for the town and the issues that he’ll be dealing with in his new role.
Butcher, of Pepperell, Massachusetts, said that this will be his first government administration position, but that he’s not unfamiliar with the process – it’s just been from the other side of the desk.
Butcher has experience as a member of the Select Board, Board of Health, as a member of the Master Plan Committee, Solid Waste Advisory Committee and as Vice Chair of the Personnel Board in his hometown of Pepperell. He plans to pair that municipal experience with his experience in senior management positions in the private sector in his new role.
Butcher said he has been considering leaving the private sector for a municipal management position for some time.
“I think you can have a lot of impact in a municipal position that you don’t have at the state or federal level,” he said. “You have more control and influence over the final outcome.”
Because Wilton has never had a town administrator, and Butcher has never been one, the first task will be to determine the extent of his role, said Butcher.
“We as a group need to define just what the role of a town administrator in Wilton is going to be,” he said. “The first priority is to get my hands around what the issues are, and get into deeper conversations with the department heads to understand what their issues might be. Then we can start to do things like look at opportunities for grant money at the state or federal level.”
One of the issues that has already been discussed during the hiring process is Wilton’s need to retain businesses and build up its Main Street. Butcher said he has some experience in economic development and encouraging business through tax incentives during his time in Pepperell’s government, and he believes he can bring some of that experience to Wilton.
Butcher’s wife, Debra Butcher, also works in the municipal field, in the planning and zoning department in Amherst.
Now that both their jobs reside in New Hampshire, the couple is considering relocating, said Butcher.
Butcher begins his duties on Aug. 6, but will be attending Select Board meetings in an observational capacity until that point.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.