Smithfield names interim town manager, appoints search committee and liaisons amid public concern

At its Sept. 3 meeting, the Smithfield Town Council appointed five community members to the Town Manager Evaluation Committee (Scott Boyd, Albert Izzarelli, David Kane, Kenneth Souza and Richard Sainzevier) to screen applicants and forward 5–10 candidates to the council. The council also appointed Council member Rachel Toppi and School Committee member Jessica Sala as liaisons to the search committee.

Council members debated procedural details and whether a liaison should attend all search-committee meetings. The record shows at least one council member voted 'No' and one abstention was recorded during the liaison vote; the motion nonetheless passed by voice vote. Several council members noted a draft list of responsibilities for the liaison role will be revisited at a future meeting.

Following those appointments, the council voted to appoint Robert Seltzer as interim town manager, effective at the closure of town hall on Oct. 2, 2024, after the incumbent announced departure. Council members publicly thanked Seltzer for accepting the role.

During public comment, longtime resident Al Constantino criticized the search process, calling it a 'sponsorship' system in which council members submitted three names each and questioned whether nominees had consented to be listed. He urged greater transparency. Another resident, Joe O'Connor, praised the outgoing town manager and thanked departing council members.

Motions to appoint committee members, liaisons and the interim manager were moved and seconded and recorded as passed by voice votes; the meeting transcript records some opposition and an abstention for the liaison item but does not show a roll-call tally for each vote.