Soon, Russ Boland’s evenings will not involve parsing details at Select Board meetings; at least not officially.

The Lyndeborough town administrator is retiring, effective May 1, after 11 years on the job. 

Boland was asked Tuesday what it is that most people don’t know about the position of town administrator.

“The time commitment, and the diversity of topics we deal with,” he said, explaining that the post requires between 40 and 60 hours a week, and often more when it comes to writing warrant articles. 

“Articles can go through half-a-dozen to a dozen edits before they’re in their final form," he said, adding that there are the meetings such as the Select Board, which run well into evenings, and once the public portion is completed, they go into non-public sessions. “And there are calls I’d get at home as well.”

As to the range of matters a town administrator tends to, Boland noted two very different examples to suggest the variety.

“Someone will call to say that there’s a pothole on the road in front of her house. Then there’s something such as getting high-speed internet service to residents,” a matter which was completed in Lyndeborough under Boland’s tenure with the help of a grant.

Boland came to the position after having served on municipal committees such as budget and capital improvements, and serving as fire inspector for New Boston and with the fire department of Salem for over a decade. This public service, along with a degree in management from Franklin Pierce University, helped him to bring a professional perspective to the position.

“I always viewed a key element of the position as gathering information for say, the selectmen, and helping to develop a solution based on it, “ he said. “I tried to keep whatever I share to be fact-based, and to remove emotion from any matter, and to remain open to new information. And to be transparent.”

Boland also said he encouraged people to come to public meetings, and that residents of Lyndeborough appreciate this access.

“We have a very engaged electorate here,” he said. “Even when there’s been a disagreement about something, people here have remained civil.”

In recent years, a number of issues in small towns have boiled down to the tax base in areas of limited commercial development.

“Even a little variation in the budget or an expenditure can have a big impact on the tax rate,” he said.

This has prompted towns to seek grants for various projects. One example of this was $66,000 that Lyndeborough received to acquire a Fire Department tanker truck during Boland’s time on the job. He gave credit to Paul Hebert of Lyndeborough’s finance department for upgrading the accounting software.

“This has helped refine our reporting of all the numbers,” Boland said. 

The decision to retire is a professional one, and Boland leaves with strong positive feelings toward the town. There are no big plans immediately on his horizon.

“More time with family, and perhaps some golf,” he speculated in terms of his new chapter.  “This is a great community. I wish everyone here well.

Geoffrey Allen will be the new town administrator. His experience includes 20 years in the military, nine years on Lyndeborough Budget Committee and time on the WLC School Board. 

Boland has no plans for another role in municipal government.

“If they - the town - have a question, it’s OK to call me,” he said.