Fire Chief Doody chosen as next town administrator

After a 30-minute interview, four members of the Canton Select Board voted enthusiastically to approve the promotion of Fire Chief Charles Doody to the position of town administrator when current Town Administrator Charlie Aspinwall retires in the fall.

Fire Chief Charles Doody

The board voted 4-0 to negotiate a new contract with Doody. Board member Chris Connolly was absent from the meeting.

The consensus of the members in attendance was that Doody’s track record as the fire chief and emergency services coordinator, combined with the leadership he provided throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, superseded his lack of experience as a town administrator.

Board members agreed that Doody’s work ethic, along with his record of fairness and honesty and his excellent communication skills would make him a fine candidate. Board member Mike Loughran noted that Doody’s record as an administrator and community leader was so impressive that the board chose not to interview any other internal or external candidates.

A Canton native and 1985 CHS graduate, Doody has been a Canton firefighter for 28 years and chief for the past 14 years. He said he loves Canton so much that he wanted to take the next step in helping to lead the town. He admires the town department heads but also realizes the importance of management skills as town administrator. Doody said he will rely on Aspinwall and other key department heads such as Finance Director Randy Scollins in familiarizing himself with the new position before Aspinwall retires sometime in September or October. Doody said it was important for the town to have a town administrator who is familiar with the town and its department heads, especially in light of pending leadership changes in the Police, Fire and Planning departments.

The position of town administrator is vital to the overall function of local government and is akin to a chief executive officer for the municipality. The administrator is in charge of day-to-day municipal operations, supervises town department heads except for the School Department, and serves in an advisory and communications role to the BOS, Finance Committee, and other town boards and committees.

In other news from the May 24 meeting …

See this week’s Citizen for more highlights from the May 24 Select Board meeting. Spring Subscriber Promo: $30 for 1 year or $50 for 2 years for new in-town subscribers. Click here to order your subscription today!

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Posted by Mike Berger on May 27 2022. Filed under News, Police & Fire, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.