Winchester Selects Mayor Howard of Malden as New Town Manager
The Winchester Board of Selectmen announced its decision this morning.
The Winchester Board of Selectmen announced they unanimously voted to select Mayor Richard Howard as their next Town Manager, contingent upon successful contract negotiations and remaining due diligence.
“I have spoken to Richard and he is excited & energized about the opportunity to join our community as our next Town Manager," Chairman Mr. Forrest Fontana said in a statement.
Howard has been the mayor of Malden since 1996, and is not seeking reelection.
Prior to serving as mayor, Howard had a law practice providing representation to business-oriented clients, including banking and real estate development.
He also represented clients before local board and commissions.
The board were conducting interviews with four finalists - Andrew R. Bisignani (Saugus Town Manager), Howard, Andrew W. Maylor (Swampscott Town Administrator) and Thomas G. Younger (Belmont Town Administrator. Maylor removed his name from consideration last week when he was named the Town Manager of North Andover.
The salary range for the new position is advertised as between $130,000 and $160,000 a year.
Howard had previously told Malden Patch the Winchester position was the only town manager position to which he had applied.
Tee Joseph
9:44 am on Friday, October 28, 2011
Poor Winchester, they won't even know what hit them!
AnnieOMalden
6:10 pm on Friday, October 28, 2011
John Oxenford: Clearly you don't have a clue about the differences between Malden and Winchester. How many rental units does Winchester have? They take their own trash to the dump-no curbside pickup. Their homes are valued way over Malden's therefore the taxes paid to the town are certainly more. Their schools are in the top 25% of the state's rankings. Perhaps Mayor Howard will not be used to the "town meeting" format where the citizens actually choose what they will spend their money on, have their opporunity to voice their opinions and the town manager does what the citizens choose. I have a feeling the town will not need to "thrive" as it already is a wonderful place to raise your kids! Trust me, there are no treatment centers and sober houses to contend with in Winchester and they are on the commuter rail so the drug addicts have access to the town yet for some reason they don't have the junkies hanging around that Malden has.
As far as the city may be run by one of the most untruthful people you have ever met, you really shouldn't be slandering Gary like that. Don't worry, I believe Deb Fallon will be our next Mayor so you don't have to worry about someone who doesn't have the city's best interest and safety as their primary focus and priority.
Andrea
10:14 am on Friday, October 28, 2011
The Winchester Town Government makes another exceptionally poor decision.
Paul Kuhn
10:16 am on Friday, October 28, 2011
RICHARD HOWARD IS PROBABLY THE BEST, MOST COMPETENT AND COMPASSIONATE MAYOR MALDEN HAS EVER HAD. HE IS AN EXTRAORDINARILY
DECENT AND HE IS A TRUE VISIONARY.
Joe Gray
10:27 am on Friday, October 28, 2011
Did anyone "honestly" doubt this would happen? Unanimous? The only position applied for and he got it on the first try? Wow. :-)
David Marsters
10:40 am on Friday, October 28, 2011
Good for Malden that the bum will leave. Will he get his pension from Malden too? Winchester didn't look to far for a manager. He will take all his cronies with him and destroy Winchester.
LI
10:52 am on Saturday, October 29, 2011
I have been living in malden for 24 years, I agree with Paul RICHARD HOWARD IS PROBABLY THE BEST, MOST COMPETENT AND COMPASSIONATE MAYOR MALDEN HAS EVER HAD. But I am not sad to see him leaving. I just hope Malden will have a better Mayor
Raj
4:39 pm on Saturday, October 29, 2011
You'll be sorry Winchester, when your city is filled with trash blowing around from recycle bins and expensive taxes and fees like blue trash bags that rip at the top every time you try to close them. It won't be long before he tries to turn into every parcel of land into multi-dwelling condos too, inviting in all sorts of dregs of society and destroying the city in the process
Maxine
12:23 am on Sunday, October 30, 2011
How can a man get a job from a town he never lived in?
Rick O'Shea
7:34 pm on Sunday, October 30, 2011
Having a house here is one thing but with the exception of parades and other public events I have never seen the man out in public during his entire tenure as mayor. Mayor Lucey I see all of the time but have never seen Howard out and about in Malden.
Joe Gray
9:54 pm on Sunday, October 30, 2011
I ran into Howard once, this past summer, in the Walgreens on Eastern Ave. He was getting a small bag of something or other. Made zero effort to draw attention to himself. Bit my tongue and let him have his personal time.
Maxine
4:09 pm on Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Now my new question is it a rule that a mayor must live in the city he was elected in?
AnnieOMalden
11:53 am on Sunday, October 30, 2011
John Oxenford: For someone with 26 years in the real estate industry, you were the one to say "Winchester will thrive" as if it wasn't already! It will be an easier job for the Mayor to steer a ship already on firm footing. Just because I don't agree politically with Mayor Howard does not mean I don't respect him as a father and a person. Our children have gone to school together for many years and he and his wife have wonderful sons anyone would be proud of.
Funny thing, my father's family are from Winchester and they have certainly have made their contributions to the town. My eldest brother maintains the family home there. My husband's family lives there. I could just as easily be an "AnnieOWinchester" but like yourself, are in Malden now.
It must be you with the "mental illness" to be incapable to distinguish my debate with someone who is clearly mudslinging with mean comments meant to diminish a candidate who has the guts to run for office. The one calling others names is the one doing the bullying.
For the record, my "survival" will be assured regardless of the next Mayor. I don't need a job and love the one I have, otherwise I would consider running for office myself. That may change but for now I'm good. All I care about is who is the best candidate for Mayor and I believe it is Deb Fallon. Both candidates have offered to change the PAYT program so I win no matter who gets in! It is simple: Gary will continue the same, Deb is for CHANGE!