Smithfield council appoints Robert Seltzer as town manager after divided vote over process

The Smithfield Town Council voted 3-2 Tuesday to appoint Robert Seltzer as permanent town manager, formalizing what council supporters called the conclusion of a months-long search and what opponents called an opaque process that excluded some members.

Council President Michael Tassoni called the vote after Councilwoman Tholvis moved to appoint Seltzer and Councilman Winfield seconded the motion. The motion specified a salary of $156,000 a year plus Seltzer’s existing benefits package. The roll call recorded Winfield, Vice President Bovis and President Tassoni voting yes; Tafi and Ayanati voted no.

Supporters described a long selection process led by a five-member search committee and closed-session interviews. “This process to appoint a town manager has been going on for almost 10 months,” Councilwoman Tholvis said, reviewing the timeline of committee meetings, candidate questionnaires, background checks and three 30-minute interviews conducted April 28. She called the committee’s work “extensive and comprehensive” and said the interviews were fair and objective.

Opponents said the full council had been sidelined after the interviews and that key procedural steps did not occur in an open, noticed forum. Councilman Iannotti and another member said they were not given adequate opportunity for follow-up interviews or for a public discussion comparing finalists. “The abrupt termination of the selection process deprived the council of the information necessary for us to be confident that we were making the best selection,” Iannotti said, and he announced he would vote no on the appointment because of process concerns.

Seltzer, who had served as interim town manager since October and remains Smithfield’s fire chief, addressed the council after the vote. He thanked the council and community for support and said he would “support all of [the council members]. That’s my job.”

The council record shows the appointment passed; the motion was made by Councilwoman Tholvis and seconded by Councilman Winfield. The agenda packet and comments indicate the full search began with a special meeting in August 2024, a job description approval in August, and closed-session deliberations in late March and April before finalists were interviewed in April.

Council members who voiced concerns asked that future searches be more transparent, to include active recruitment by an outside firm and more opportunity for full-council discussion before placement on an agenda. Several council members said they supported the search committee’s work but were frustrated with how the final steps were handled.

The appointment takes effect immediately; the council did not discuss other administrative steps or a transition timeline during the public meeting.