Two Town Manager Finalists Also Seeking North Andover Vacancy

North Andover Selectmen interviewed three of their four final candidates for their open town manager position Friday and then voted unanimously to narrow the field to two.

Their two finalists -- Swampscott Town Manager Andrew Maylor and Belmont Town Manager Thomas Younger -- are also both in the running for the .

Paul Shew, former Rye, N.Y, administrator, was also interviewed in North Andover Friday. North Andover's fourth finalist, former East Providence, R.I., city administrator Richard Brown, was unable to attend because of scheduling conflicts with his job for the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Alabama. But after the interviews, selectmen liked Maylor and Younger so much they decided they didn't need to interview Brown and could eliminate Shew.

Since Maylor and Younger are up for the Winchester job, North Andover Selectmen are making the selection process as quick as possible. Both candidates will be invited to meet town employees and the public in the coming week, and selectmen have scheduled a meeting for Oct. 17, at which they will likely vote on which candidate to hire.

“The sooner you can make the decision the better, because if you don’t then Winchester will make it for you,” School Committee member Stan Limpert said to selectmen after the interviews.

The months-long search for a new town manager came after former Town Manager Mark Rees announced  Since his departure, Jim Purcell has filled in as interim town manager. That appointment is set to expire on Dec. 23 at the latest.

Interview Highlights

The interviews were held from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., lasting about an hour each. Here are a few highlights from the interviews.

• Shew said he would want to develop the riverfront more.
• Shew cited his international experience, having helped with integration of the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, after apartheid.
• Maylor called for making the town government more efficient and investing in infrastructure and addressing the town's retirement funding issues.
• Maylor also cited his experience in negotiating with the GIC to save money on Swampscott's municipal health coverage.
• When asked what makes a good town manager, Maylor joked, "multi-tasking on caffeine."
• Younger, former town administrator for North Reading, said he is very interested in coming back to the Merrimack Valley and wishes to finish his career here.
• Younger called for restructuring and reorganizing town jobs as well as outsourcing some jobs.
• When asked the nicest compliment he's received, he said "when my wife said she'd marry me."

You can watch the interviews in their entirety on North Andover Community Access,http://www2.northandovercam.org/gov.php. Check back with Patch for developments on the town manager selection.