Clarksburg Selectman Resigns to Apply for Adminstrative Post
 Selectman Chairman Carl McKinney, seen in this file photo, has resigned from the board to apply for town administrator. |
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — It's deja vu all over again for Clarksburg.
Selectmen Chairman Carl McKinney has resigned his seat to apply for town administrator.
"It's been an interesting couple of weeks. I had to give it a lot of thought," he said on Monday. "I consulted with family and friends and they've all been very supportive so that led me to believe that is the route to go."
McKinney said he met with retiring Town Administrator Thomas Webb last Thursday to inform him of the decision and submit a letter of resignation to the other selectmen.
The scenario is similar to that two years ago, when then Chairwoman Debra Lefave also resigned to unsuccessfully apply for the administrative post.
McKinney has more than a decade on the board and another four years prior to that as a member of the Finance Committee.
"It gave me great pause ... where can I better serve the town?" he said. "There are a lot of things I would like to do for the town. ... I can promise a very diligent and hard-working commitment to the town if that's the way it goes."
A local real estate broker with past experience in finances, McKinney said he had met with Finance Committee Chairman Mark Denault and stated in his resignation letter that he would be available for any consultation regarding the board or the town's budgeting process.
He said he would like to continue as the town's representative on the Northern Berkshire Solid Waste District. "It's kind of my pet project," McKinney said. "I've been working on it for nine years."
His resignation leaves the Selectmen with only two members, Jeffrey Levanos and Lily Kuzia; Webb's last day is March 3. The board is scheduled to meet Wednesday morning for staff reports and to discuss the town administrator search.
McKinney said he understood that it will be difficult for the remaining board members, but doesn't think the current situation is as dire as two years ago.
The town "went through a lot last time ... it was almost a complete collapse of government," he said, because in addition to losing a chairman and town administrator, there was also staffing changes in the highway and police departments, the town accountant resigned and there were new appointments in the financial offices.
"I would loved to have Tom stay longer," said McKinney, who adds he is cognizant of the difficulties facing the town in terms of budgeting and the Gates Avenue culvert in particular. The state is calling for an estimated $640,000 fix to the aged structure that McKinney says the town can't afford.
"That's going to need some immediate attention," he said, especially someone advocating on Beacon Hill. "I know a lot about it. That is a big and looming problem."
Tags: resignation, Selectmen, town administrator,
