BREAKING NEWS: Barnstable Town Manager Will Not Seek New Contract

Town of Barnstable Town Manager Thomas Lynch

Town of Barnstable Town Manager Thomas Lynch

HYANNIS – Barnstable Town Manager Tom Lynch has notified the Barnstable Town Council that he will not be staying on in his position when his contract expires on June 30, 2016.

In a letter addressed to the people of Barnstable, Lynch writes, “One quality of a leader is knowing when to go, I believe I have reached that time,” he said.

The town council recently voted to open a global search for a town manager and invited Lynch and Assistant Town Manager Mark Ells to apply for the job.

Ells sent a letter to the town council search committee this week stating that he is interested in the job. The search committee heard last night from a consultant who said their search was flawed from the start because they had not established whether the town manager intended to stay in the job.

Lynch wrote in a memo released this morning, “I have notified the Barnstable Town Council that I will be fulfilling my contract obligations as Barnstable’s town manager through June 30, 2016 and will not be applying for the position when it is posted by the Search Committee.”

The memo was accompanied by a one-page letter stating that he did not want to divide the town.

Here is the full text of Barnstable Town Manager Thomas Lynch’s letter released this morning:

The people of Barnstable have been very good to me over the years. I have asked for your trust and vote. You gave me your support for State Representative and I hope I didn’t let you down. I pledged that I would work hard for you and be fair, honest and thoughtful on the issues I was required to vote on on your behalf. Over the many years I’ve served in the public sector I have taught your children, worked to meet our housing needs, to control health care costs, to protect our fragile environment and to spend tax dollars wisely.

As Assistant Town Manager and Town Manager I have kept the best interests of the town foremost in my decision making. I want what is best for Barnstable. This is my home and I want what all citizens are seeking, a safe, economically stable, educationally sound community where we can all enjoy the rich quality of life Barnstable offers.

A majority of the Town Council has voted to search for a new town manager. It is clear to me that they are looking for a change. I believed that with my leadership, the excellent financial stability we continue to enjoy, the work of our dedicated staff, and with our record of accomplishment, I deserved the professional courtesy of a discussion about a contract extension. Recent newspaper articles have highlighted that matter and I do not wish to prolong that discord.

I watched the last town manager endure months of attacks and counter attacks. In the end that fight did not end well and divided our town. I do not want to put our community through that disruption again.

The notes, calls, and personal comments of support I have received have been appreciated and have reinforced my faith in the kindness and sense of fairness of my fellow citizens. The trust we formed so many years ago has continued to be a bond that has endured the test of time and your offers of support have been comforting.

One quality of a leader is knowing when to go. I believe I have reached that time.

I will not be applying for my current job. I am committed to completing my contract, which ends on June 30, 2016, and will assist with the transition and offer assistance to the new town manager in any manner he or she may request.

I look forward to what the future holds but know I will never find the loyalty of the great staff we have here in the Town of Barnstable or the connection I have been able to have with so many of you over the years. I hope saying thank you is enough.

By LAURA M. RECKFORD, CapeCod.com NewsCenter

Comments

  1. A huge loss for Barnstable!
    Clearly ill-conceived and badly managed by the Town Council.
    You won’t find a better TM than Tom Lynch, whether your talking collaboration, fiscal accountability, business ethics or personal standards.

Speak Your Mind

*



CapeCod.com
737 West Main Street
Hyannis, MA 02601
Contact Us | Advertise Terms of Use 
Employment and EEO | Privacy