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Can a Selectman Appoint a Family Member to a Job?

The recent appointment of a new town administrator for Milford raised questions about why a selectman who voted was able to vote for a relative.

Last week, Milford Selectman Dino DeBartolomeis participated in a vote to appoint attorney Richard Villani as the town's new administrator. Villani happens to be his second-cousin. How was DeBartolomeis allowed to participate in discussion and vote on his appointment? The state's Conflict of Interest law prevents elected municipal officials from participating in a matter in which they, or their immediate family, or business, have a financial interest. But those family members are clearly defined in the law: parents, children, siblings, spouse, and spouse's parents, children, and siblings. Elected town officials also are required to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. Elected officials "may not act in a manner that would cause a…

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Milford Selectmen Choose Town Administrator

Attorney Richard Villani has been selected as the Milford town administrator.

Richard Villani will become the new town administrator for Milford. Selectmen voted 3-0 to appoint Villani as the town administrator, with a contract to be negotiated over the next several days.  He will replace longtime administrator Louis Celozzi, who is retiring. Villani, 55, a Milford resident, is an attorney with a private practice in town. He was among five individuals interviewed for the position. The motion to appoint him as town administrator was made by Selectman Dino DeBartolomeis, who said he appreciated the strengths of all of the candidates, but felt Villani was the best choice. "He has the necessary skills," DeBartolomeis said. Brian Murray, the current chairman, seconded the motion, and also spoke to his qualifiations. "I …

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Milford Selectmen Complete Town Administrator Interviews

Selectmen are expected to decide later this month among five candidates for town administrator.

Milford Selectmen completed interviews with five finalists for the open town administator position Tuesday, conducting interviews with the last two candidates. Candidate Mark Stankiewicz, the former town manager in Plymouth, withdrew his application before his interview. Selectmen will meet on Feb. 25 to discuss the applicants and make an appointment. Town Administrator Louis Celozzi is retiring in March. The interviews were broadcast live on Milford TV, which will place the video on its YouTube page. The Feb. 6 broadcast of interviews with the first three candidates — Noel Bon Tempo, John D'Agostino and William Kingkade Jr — is now available. These are the candidates for town administrator: Barbara A. Auger, of Milford. The town treasurer…

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David Nolta

12:20 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013

We would be so lucky to have somebody as smart and hard-working as Noel Bon Tempo as our Town Administrator.   more ›

Six Candidates Remain for Milford Administrator

Milford Selectmen on Thursday selected six people for initial interviews for the Town Administrator position.

Milford Selectmen will conduct initial interviews with six candidates of 36 who applied for the Town Administrator position. The candidates include four local residents, and will be brought in for 45-minute interviews in early February. They are: Barbara A. Auger, Milford town treasurer for the past 15 years; Noel G. Bon Tempo, an attorney, and a social studies teacher with Milford High School; John D'Agostino, the town manager in Abington, on the South Shore, whose contract recently was not renewed; William E. Kingkade Jr., a Milford Finance Committee member and a manager with the state MBTA; Mark S. Stankiewicz, a former town manager in Stoughton and Plymouth; and Richard Villani, an attorney and Geriatric Authority member. The remaining…

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Milford Residents Among Applicants for Town Administrator

Seven residents of Milford have applied for the open position of Town Administrator. The candidate pool also includes several former town managers or administrators in New England towns.

The 36 people who have applied for the open position of town adminsitrator in Milford include business owners, accountants, attorneys and several former town managers in New England towns and cities. The applicant pool includes seven local residents. They are: Barbara A. Auger, the Milford town treasurer; Noel G. Bon Tempo, a Conservation Commission member and teacher with Milford Public Schools; William E. Kingkade Jr., a Milford Finance Committee member; Michael Meurant, a real estate agent and general contractor; Wendell Phillips Jr., Milford's assistant town accountant; Scott Savage, a business owner; and Richard A. Villani, a Geriatric Authority member and attorney. Some of the other applicants include Glenn E. Aho, former city …

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Thirty-Six Apply for Town Administrator Post

Milford received 36 applications from people interested in the Town Administrator position. Longtime administrator Louis Celozzi Jr. will retire in March.

Thirty-six people have applied for the open position of Milford town administrator, and their names are expected to be made public by week's end. A spreadsheet describing, at a glance, the qualifications of each candidate is expected to be provided to Milford Selectmen Friday, along with a more detailed packet of resumes and letters of interest, said Town Administrator Louis Celozzi.  At their next meeting, the selectmen are expected to initially discuss how to screen applicants, but selection of people for interviews will not begin until later, said Brian Murray, chairman of the Milford Selectmen. The new hire will succeed Celozzi, who announced his retirement in September. Celozzi, who has served as town administrator for 16 years, will …

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Search Begins for New Town Administrator

Milford Selectmen on Monday approved a process to search for a replacement for retiring Town Administrator Louis Celozzi.

The next Milford town administrator should have an advanced degree in business or management, will take an active role in budget formation and earn between $90,000 and $125,000. Selectmen approved the job description, education requirements and salary range as part of its regular meeting Monday. The board largely approved the suggestions of current Town Administrator Louis Celozzi, while making a few adjustments for education requirements and description of duties. Celozzi last month announced his plans to retire. He will step down at the end of March, and selectmen said Monday they hope to have his successor in place for at least a few weeks prior to Celozzi's departure. Initially, the education component was listed as "Basic Knowledge," …

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Milford Town Administrator to Retire

Town Administrator Louis Celozzi Monday announced his intention to retire. He has served as the town's chief administrator since 1996.

Town Administrator Louis Celozzi surprised Milford selectmen Monday with an announcement he will retire in 2013. Celozzi has served as the chief adminstrator for town government since 1996, and has been a full-time employee since 1974, when he was appointed the first director of the Milford Community Use program. He will retire as town administrator in May 2013, but with vacation time, his last day will be March 31, 2013. Celozzi announced his retirement near the end of the Board of Selectmen's regular meeting, as a last item of "new business" that was not on the printed agenda. Selectman Brian Murray looked stunned. "Talk about a bombshell." Celozzi said little about his retirement during the meeting, but in a letter, he said he had had …

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John Tehan

11:32 pm on Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Wow, that is a bombshell! Lou has been a fixture here for a long time, I'm sure he'll be missed.   more ›