Select Board rejects reinstatement of Director of Operations after split vote

The Foxborough Select Board debated for more than an hour June 18 before voting down a motion to reinstate a Director of Operations position intended to serve as a designated "number two" for the town manager.

Advocates said the role would provide continuity when the town manager is away and could be funded without adding to the operating budget by using an existing formula grant. "All organizations the size of our town need a designated number two," a resident, Joe McGuire, told the board during public comment, and several board members echoed that management‑continuity point during discussion.

Opponents raised two recurring concerns: the risk that grant funds would supplant existing town funds (a legal and audit risk), and the possibility that a part‑time assignments to an existing senior employee would pull that person away from their day‑to‑day responsibilities. One board member said in the past an assistant role had effectively become the primary position and cautioned against creating a de‑facto assistant town manager.

After discussion the board voted on the motion to reinstate the Director of Operations. The roll call yielded two votes in favor and three opposed; the motion failed.

Board members directed staff to clarify grant rules, explore alternative coverage models using existing department heads, and if appropriate to return with revised language or proposals for how an interim or compensated designation could work without supplanting town-funded positions.