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Northborough Select Board appoints Neil Esposito as fire chief after 3–2 roll call; appointment contingent on checks
Summary
After reviewing interview and assessment-center results for three finalists, the Select Board voted 3–2 to appoint Neil Esposito as Northborough’s fire chief, subject to background and reference checks and contract negotiation. The vote followed a split debate over continuity versus hiring the highest-scoring external candidate.
The Northborough Select Board on June 22 voted to appoint Neil Esposito as the town’s next fire chief following public discussion of three finalists and their assessment results.
Town administration briefed the board on interview scoring and the assessment-center rankings. The town administrator reported that Keith Darling scored highest on most interview categories and in the third-party assessment; Mark Sadowski and Neil Esposito were also finalists. Board members acknowledged that Darling scored strongly on interview and assessment measures but disagreed on whether the town should select an outside candidate or keep continuity by promoting the acting chief.
After debate, Select Board member Wesley moved to appoint Neil Esposito as fire chief "subject to the successful completion of a background check, reference check, and negotiation of an employment agreement acceptable to the town administrator and the select board." The motion was seconded and approved on a roll‑call vote, 3 in favor and 2 opposed. The board memorialized the result as a three‑to‑two decision and thanked all finalists for participating in the process.
Why it matters: The appointment hands overall operational leadership of Northborough’s fire department to Esposito pending routine vetting and contract finalization. Board discussion focused on balancing continuity and institutional knowledge (Esposito had been acting chief) against the perceived strengths of external finalists.
What’s next: The appointment is subject to completion of a background check, reference checks and successful contract negotiation, after which the town will announce effective dates and transition steps.
