Finance committee postpones vote on mayor’s health commissioner pick after questions on hiring process and residency

Mayor Robert Sullivan’s nomination of Dr. Victor Sebastian to be Brockton’s commissioner of health and human services was discussed at length and postponed by the Finance Committee on Aug. 18, 2025, after members raised procedural and residency concerns.

The committee paused its recommendation to the full City Council so members could review hiring paperwork and a job description and hear from human resources and legal counsel at the next meeting. The mayor said he will issue a 30‑day interim appointment and provide additional documents to the council.

Why it matters: The new commissioner position will oversee the city’s Board of Health, the council on aging and human services programs and is positioned to lead grant-seeking and epidemic response. In the hearing, members repeatedly cited recent increases in local HIV and tuberculosis cases and said the city needs clear lines of authority and documentation before confirming a long‑term appointment.

At the meeting, Mayor Robert Sullivan described the legal route used to create the post as a home‑rule petition signed by Governor Healey and said the administration coordinated the hiring through human resources. Sullivan told the committee that Dr. Sebastian had worked with the Board of Health and with local health providers and had been introduced to Brockton clinicians at a meeting at the Shaw Center.

Dr. Victor Sebastian, introduced to the committee as the nominee, outlined his public‑health resume and experience with grant programs. "I have extensive experience working in the CDC," Sebastian said, and described roles as a lead activity manager responsible for designing funding solicitations and managing implementing partners. He also said he served as a Global Fund technical specialist and later ran a national drug‑resistant TB survey funded by the CDC.

Committee members focused on process. Councilor Rodriguez said he understood that ‘‘ordinance positions’’ typically follow a city hiring/HR process and questioned why Dr. Sebastian had already begun working before council ratification. Councilor Farwell and others asked for the job description and for HR and legal to explain the appointment process. Several members urged the mayor to confirm whether temporary appointment procedures under the city charter had been used.

Several councilors pressed Dr. Sebastian on local and managerial experience. He told the committee he had been a Board of Health staff epidemiologist in Brockton since January 2024 and that his chief accomplishments included completing a community health assessment within three months. "That survey was designed to determine the gaps and the felt needs of the community," Sebastian said, and he reported analyzing local data showing a disproportionate share of TB and HIV cases in Brockton during his review.

Council members also questioned residency. Dr. Sebastian said he lived in Lexington but would relocate to Brockton if required; he described residency as "preferred, not required." Councilors pressed whether residency preference had been stated in the posting and asked the administration to confirm any residency requirement in the job posting and ordinance.

Action and next steps: A motion to recommend the nomination favorably was withdrawn; the committee then voted to postpone the matter to the next Finance Committee meeting so HR, legal and members of the hiring panel could appear and provide documentation. Mayor Sullivan said he would issue a 30‑day interim appointment tomorrow to avoid a gap while the committee reviews the records; the mayor said the appointment would be voided if the council confirmed the nominee earlier. The committee scheduled follow‑up for its next meeting.

Context: The new position was created by a home‑rule petition and includes oversight of public‑health programs and human services. Committee members repeatedly said they wanted written job criteria, confirmation that due diligence (background checks, reference checks) had been completed, and clarity about the process that led to the nominee’s start date.

Ending: The committee’s postponement keeps the nomination open pending submission of HR and legal materials and a fuller explanation of the hiring timeline. The mayor and the nominee said they will cooperate with the committee’s requests.