Andover Townsman, Andover, MA

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January 28, 2010

Letter: Stick with proven Stapczynski

Stick with proven Stapczynski

Editor, Towmsman:

Regarding extending the town manager for another five years: I say, do it! The guy has gotten the job done, and better than anyone else who has sat in that chair over the past 35 years.

I have to smile when one of our current crop of selectmen is quoted as saying, "We really need to put on paper what our expectations of the town manager are." What happened to the boldly heralded job description of the Larry Larsen era? Have the job requirements changed that dramatically? I don't think so - it's the same old daily routine of communications, planning, budget, labor negotiations and 35 other things that the guy has got to respond to each day from a myriad of concerned citizens.

Having read the latest version of the town manager's job description, I only found one requirement missing; i.e., must walk on water.

For my money, our manager has represented the town well in all areas. Would I like to see Superman or Superwoman descend upon these noble hills and save us a million here and a million there? Get real, that only happens in the comics!

Besides, he and his staff have fought mightily to improve our bond rating and, where we have lost ground, I attribute it largely to the antics of union negotiators who seem more motivated by factors that I, as a guy who spent the better part of his life as a member of the military, will never understand. Get on the bandwagon called America folks and start thinking of a greater purpose than lining your pockets with every budget-busting argument you can come up with. With that kind of thinking sitting across the table, even Superman doesn't stand a chance. So we can delete the requirement from his job description "must walk on water." Even that guy wouldn't have success at the table.

So, I say, if he was good enough for 18 years, he certainly is good enough for another five. Or do some of our Town Hall hot shots really believe there is someone that truly walks on water. Not for $134,000 and not for any amount of money - just look at the clowns coming and going every night on the Wall Street merry-go-round. If you have somebody who knows his way around and has the experience and has demonstrated his ability to do the job for a long period of time, then stick with him as long as he's willing to put up with this circus. We don't need to spend money we don't have and endless time looking for the perfect fit only to find that he/she, too, is only human.

Joe Madden

82 Porter Road

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Letter: Stick with proven Stapczynski
by Anonymous , , Thu Jan 28, 2010, 10:43 AM EST
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