News

The Board of Selectmen unanimously chose John Stanbrook, finance director and town accountant, to be Mansfield’ interim town manager starting Friday.

At last week’s selectmen meeting, it was announced Town Manager William Ross would be leaving his post on March 31.

“The Board of Selectmen and Mr. Ross have mutually agreed to renegotiate the terms of his employment agreement, and Mr. Ross’ tenure as town manager will end effective March 31, 2017,” the March 22 statement read. “Mr. Ross has enjoyed his time working for the Town of Mansfield and takes great satisfaction from the many accomplishments of his team during his seven years as town manager. The board would like to wish him well in the future.”

The selectmen declined to comment on the reason for the agreement upon advice of counsel. The agreement was renegotiated in recent executive sessions, Selectmen Chairman Jess Aptowitz said.

Ross’ contract had run until January 2019.

Ross has also declined comment.

“John has a good handle on the budget,” Aptowitz said at the meeting on Monday, March 27.

Other names Aptowitz suggested for the post were Town Clerk Marianne Staples, Department of Public Works Director Lee Azinheira, Police Chief Ronald Sellon and Fire Chief Neal Boldrighini.

But selectmen were concerned with the public safety and highway garage projects ongoing, as well as the move to a regional dispatch center on the table, it would be too much to add interim town manager duties to some of these department heads.

Selectman Steve Schoonveld said the search would run six months or longer and “we don’t want to slow down what we are doing.”

Selectman George Dentino suggested former building inspector and former interim town manager Nick Riccio.