Commission debates town administrator role and staffing as charter review begins

Members of the Waterboro Charter Commission spent substantial time discussing whether the charter should move from a town administrator model to a town manager model, and about the operational effects when one individual holds multiple positions.

A commission member described the current arrangement: "Matt is our town administrator. Laura Fish is our HR and finance director, and we all report to Laura Fish," noting that, in practice, some staff also report directly to Matt. The same speaker also listed that Matt currently performs multiple town roles including town clerk and tax collector.

Other members raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest when an administrator fills several positions and noted employee workload and supervision issues. One commissioner said residents have expressed distrust of past changes and "some even feel like they got lied to, openly lied to," remarking that perceived lack of transparency has reduced public engagement.

Why it matters: How the charter defines senior positions — their titles, duties and reporting lines — affects hiring, salaries and operational accountability for municipal services. Commissioners discussed recruitment constraints and salary expectations for town managers versus administrators and how those market realities inform local choices.

What’s next: The commission agreed to gather input from the town administrator, planner and department heads and to bring those perspectives to the attorney meeting and future public outreach before drafting changes to the charter.