Norton select board appoints Mark Gold as town manager, subject to contract talks

The Norton Select Board voted July 12 to appoint Mark Gold as the town’s next manager, after conducting public interviews with three finalists and then deliberating in open session.

The appointment, made subject to “successful negotiation of a mutually satisfactory employment contract,” followed hour-long interviews with each finalist. In his opening remarks, Gold described himself as “a finance-focused leader with a passion for public service” and cited his current role as CFO for the Framingham Department of Public Works and experience advising municipalities on municipal finance. The board’s vote to appoint him passed in the meeting’s public session.

Why it matters: The town manager oversees municipal operations, prepares capital and operating budgets, and implements select-board policy. The board said it prioritized a candidate who could step in quickly and who brought both fiscal experience and community-engagement skills.

What happened at the interviews: Each candidate answered the same set of questions developed by the select board and the search committee. Mark Gold emphasized long-range capital planning, multi-year CIP forecasting and cost-saving measures such as health-insurance restructuring; he described negotiating multiple union contracts and using performance improvement plans to manage personnel issues. “Out of conflict creative solutions can arise,” Gold said when asked about labor disputes.

Michael Moresco, the town administrator candidate who served nine years on Marshfield’s select board and 36 years in state government, emphasized infrastructure planning and community outreach, recounting oversight of large public-health efforts during COVID-19 and a multi-million-dollar debt exclusion he helped lead there. “You have to get stakeholders involved,” Moresco said, describing regular superintendent meetings and public education around budget proposals.

David (Dave) Kerzy, a 30-year public-safety professional and current police chief who has taken on administrative roles including emergency management, highlighted operational reforms he led—such as adding training, building a cruiser-rotation capital plan and securing grant-funded communications infrastructure—and stressed direct engagement with staff and residents.

Board deliberations and vote: After the three interviews and a public discussion about desired qualities, a member moved to appoint Mark Gold, subject to contract negotiation; the motion carried in public session. The board then designated Roger Masan and Bob Kimble as negotiators to finalize employment terms and report back to the board.

Formal actions taken: The board’s public actions included a motion and vote to appoint Mark Gold as town manager, subject to successfully negotiating an employment contract, and a motion designating two select board members as negotiators for contract talks.

What’s next: Negotiators will work with Gold on employment terms and return to the select board with a proposed contract. The board said it will notify the public about further steps once negotiations conclude.