Town managers tell Senate committee turnover and recruitment gaps threaten small-town capacity

Eric Wells, town manager of Williston and president of the Vermont Town & City Management Association (VTCMA), told the Senate Committee on Government Operations on Feb. 7 that Vermont municipalities are seeing higher turnover among town managers and fewer applicants for open positions.

"We work to increase the knowledge and ability of local government managers and to promote increased professional management of municipalities," Wells said, describing VTCMA as a professional organization founded in 1977 with about 70 active members that provides networking, conferences and mentoring.

Committee members said the trend affects smaller towns' ability to secure grants and provide services and discussed ways to promote the profession and broaden recruitment.

Wells described VTCMA's role as a narrowly focused professional development group for town managers and administrators, distinct from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT), which runs a broader Municipal Assistance Center for clerks, zoning administrators and other municipal officials. He said VTCMA holds two conferences a year, runs peer-support and mentorship programs and is affiliated with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).

"Our major work ... we have two conferences annually in the spring and the fall," Wells said, adding the association is trying to help newer managers in the field and to reduce burnout.

Lawmakers and witnesses discussed concrete recruitment and retention tools. Senator Allison Clarkson urged outreach and early exposure to the field, including job-shadowing programs for middle-school or high-school students, so young people learn municipal management is a career option. Several senators noted that towns with managers typically secure more grants and resources than towns governed only by volunteer select boards.

Committee members pressed Wells about compensation and hiring practices. Wells said compensation is ultimately set by municipal elected officials and varies by community size; he noted that in higher-cost areas of the state, total compensation (salary plus benefits) can be on the higher end of the Vermont range. He said VTCMA and VLCT maintain salary and recruitment resources for members.

Wells said the association also helps with interim management and recruitment: VLCT keeps a roster of experienced managers and consultants who can be hired when a municipality abruptly loses a manager. Several senators described that service as valuable for continuity.

The committee invited VTCMA to continue engagement and indicated it may request formal suggestions from the association and its members on workforce-development and recruitment policy. The meeting record shows Wells will serve on an internal VTCMA subcommittee the association is standing up to develop an advocacy or outreach approach.

Why it matters: Town managers serve as the chief administrative officer in many Vermont municipalities; sustained vacancies or short tenures reduce a town's ability to apply for grants, manage personnel and deliver services. Committee members framed recruitment and retention as a workforce-development issue that affects smaller, volunteer-run towns disproportionately.

The committee did not take formal legislative action on Feb. 7; members asked staff and witnesses to return with additional information and to coordinate with VLCT and VTCMA on possible next steps.