Wilton’s Town Administrator Paul Branscombe has announced his retirement, set for the end of the year, and the town has assembled a committee to seek his replacement.
Branscombe has announced his last day to be Dec. 3.
During this week’s Select Board work session, the board discussed the process for selecting Branscombe’s replacement.
The board elected against using a professional company such as Municipal Resources Inc., which it has used to vet candidates for town positions in the past, and instead use a volunteer committee to select finalists for the Select Board to review.
“The Select Board should make the final choice, and hopefully we’ll get as many applicants as we got the first time around, but the first round of interviews and narrowing the list should be done by an independent group,” said Selectman Kermit Williams.
The position is currently being advertised, and the committee will begin its evaluation of applications on Aug. 31. The Select Board is currently scheduled to make their final selection during its Sept. 7 board meeting.
The board has formed a committee of seven people, with the majority from the public, to make those final selections. Selectman Matt Fish will represent the Select Board, and Jane Farrell a department head who, as an elected official, will not be directly under the town administrator. The board also plans to appoint citizens Jackie Kahle, Cary Hughes, Jennifer Beck, Sara Spittel and Karon Walker to the committee.
Branscombe noted there is likely to be stiff competition for qualified applicants, as several other area towns are also going to be seeking administrators this summer, including nearby New Boston.
Branscombe has been in the position since 2018. He was initially hired as an interim administrator after the previous Town Administrator, Scott Butcher, quit, and was officially hired in July of 2018.
Branscombe said he intends to fully retire, though joked he’s made that attempt twice before.
“This has been the best part of my municipal career,” Branscombe said of the past three years. “I’ll certainly shed a few tears on my last day.”