Former Malden Mayor Begins Position as Winchester Town Manager

For the past 19 months Winchester has been without a Town Manager, but on Tuesday, Jan. 3 former

Town Clerk since June 2010, while

Howard will be Winchester’s first town manager since the Board of Selectmen

Howard has been the mayor of Malden since 1996, and decided not to seek reelection.

“I decided this was a good time to step aside,” Howard said of his mayoral position. “It’s good for the community. And after 16 years, I’ve made a lot of decisions, we had a pretty aggressive agenda [while in Malden] and it was a good time to turn the position over to new leadership after we’ve had a pretty good run.”

The Winchester position was the only town manager job Howard applied to, and according to Howard, the position was the only one that appealed to him.

“Winchester felt like a good fit,” Howard said. “What the town was looking for is similar to a lot of the stuff that I worked on in Malden.”

According to Howard, Winchester and Malden both have to deal with transportation issues, open space and the Middlesex Fells, the future renovation of , the revitalization of the town center and the commuter rail system.

“Hopefully my background will give me some insight into some ideas that would work,” Howard said.

Howard also said that both communities are trying to deliver the best value to the community, while maintaining the same quality of life.

Howard’s first job as town manager will be helping Lannon and Twogood finish up the 2013 budget. In December, Lannon suggested , but Howard was not ready to commit to that recommendation.

“We’re going to have to look at what revenue and expenditure adjustments are available,” Howard said. “I don’t know if I’m ready to recommend [an override]. We have to see what the school budget looks like and what other options we have with local aid and health care.”

As mayor, Howard also served as the chair of the School Committee and said he plans to continue the town’s emphasis on education.

“The level of achievement at the Winchester schools speak for themselves,” Howard said. “Having some background will hopefully help me, but the schools here are performing very well. Whatever I can add, I’d be happy to add.”

But Howard admits making the transition from mayor to town manager won’t come without its challenges. As mayor, Howard was the chief executive of Malden and oversaw every aspect of the community. As town manager Howard will be working with the Board of Selectmen.

“That’s an obvious fact that I’m not the chief executive,” Howard said. “I’ll be working collaboratively with the Board of Selectmen. That’s not a huge modification. I’ve worked with a city council that are elected every two years. I sat on the School Committee.

“The position in Malden requires a fair amount of collaboration. I see that part of my skills translating well to the Winchester setting.”

For now, Howard says he wants to learn as much about the town and the residents as possible.

“I just want to get out and meet as many groups as I can,” Howard said. “I want to get out and learn the unique features of the community, meet as many people as a I can and know where the streets are.”