Clarksburg Select Board Fires Treasurer/Tax Collector
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town's treasurer/collector was fired on Wednesday night after a nearly 45-minute executive session of the Select Board.
Melissa McGovern-Wandrei has been in the part-time post for some time, first as the elected tax collector for 15 years and then appointed when the tax collector was combined with the treasurer position under the authority of the Select Board in 2011.
The board provided no explanation for the firing.
"All we can say is she was terminated," said Chairman Jeffrey Levanos. When asked if any other actions would follow, he replied, "not at this time."
The board met with McGovern-Wandrei for about a half-hour in a posted executive session, then alone for another 10 or 15 minutes before calling her back in. She was allowed to remove personal belongings from her locked office and left when the board came back into regular session.
Police Chief Michael Williams was appointed the interim treasurer/collector. Anthony Reid was appointed to provide information technology support for the town's systems, which McGovern-Wandrei had also overseen.
Town Administrator Carl McKinney said Reid, an IT support engineer in North Adams, would work on system security and performance.
Town officials plan to interview several applicants for the treasurer/tax collector position on Monday in an effort to get someone into the post as soon as possible.
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