By Elizabeth F. McNamara
Town Manager Gayle Corrigan in Council Chambers at Town Hall.
Town Councilman Nino Granatiero has been charged with putting together a hiring advisory committee for town manager even as Town Council President Sue Cienki has said she wants current Town Manager Gayle Corrigan to finish her work implementing the so-called “One Town” approach. Granatiero said it will indeed be a search.
“It’s not an exercise. It’s not a show. I would never have agreed to lead the search if it was just a show,” said Granatiero. “I truly believe that the town deserves a good search for a town manager.”
When Gayle Corrigan was first named acting town manager by the Town Council last June (following the swift, surprising departure of then Town Manager Tom Coyle in what was termed a mutually agreed upon separation), Town Council President Sue Cienki promised to initiate an immediate search for a new town manager. But days turned to weeks turned to months. During that time, the Town Council voted to drop the “acting” from Corrigan’s title.
A month ago, Cienki said there would be a search but she wanted Corrigan to first finish her job. Corrigan has a one-year contract with the town in her role as town manager. She was hired in June.
At the Town Council meeting Oct. 23, Granatiero formally took on the job of managing the search process, including overseeing a five-member hiring advisory committee to be comprised of one recommendation from each council member.
Granatiero said the long lead time for the search will enable the town to potentially hire someone who could overlap with Corrigan. Or, he said, the council could hire Corrigan if she decided to apply for the post, in which no transition would be needed, he said.
“We didn’t have the luxury of a search last time,” he said, referring to Coyle’s speedy departure. “If someone new is going to come in, obviously you want a transition. If, when the search is completed, and Gayle emerges as the top candidate, then no transition needed. If not, we want that time for an overlap if possible.”
Granatiero said he had not yet talked to Corrigan to see if she was interested in applying for the job.
“Our town deserves what we told them we were going to do,” he said, referring to doing a search. “If, at the end of the search, it’s Gayle Corrigan, then OK.”
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Um… No. if it’s Gayle Corrigan… #NOTok
-Since her “hiring” (since the Judge has yet to rule her hiring was appropriate) she has failed to present a three, six, and nine month plan we were promised in June. It’s now November.
-She has cost the tax payers of EG unknown amounts of money in legal fees (and more to come).
-She has hired multiple consultants and failed to answer questions about how much these additional consultants are costing the tax payers (even though she has been asked for this information).
-The “One Town” launch may not even happen according to Corrigan herself (per her own words at the last TC meeting). So if this is why she was hired, and it’s not going to be implemented, it is unclear to me what job she is here to finish.
-Her recent testimony during the trial involving the termination of James Perry was horrible. It showed she is not familiar with the town charter at all. One would think the charter would be something the town manager would be very familiar and well versed in.
So, No. I can’t even imagine that she would be the best candidate for the job. I’m disappointed she’d even be considered.