Selectmen Delay Town Administrator Vote a Week

A question of references – or the lack of any – has resulted in the Belmont Board of Selectmen to delay for a week the selection of the new Town Administrator.

The vote will now take place on Monday, June 11, at 8 a.m.

"I think we have the duty to do our due diligence," said Board of Selectmen Chairman Mark Paolillo, who questioned why the UMass Collins Center for Public Management – which assisted the Board in the selection process – had not provided personnel references for either of the ; Peter Morin, Braintree's chief of staff and director of operations, and David Kale, Cambridge's budget director/deputy finance director.

Selectman Andy Rojas said he also would want to hear from the candidate's superiors and colleagues before casting "what is the most important decision we will make in years."

Saying that he did not expect to learn anything from a set of references,  Selectman Ralph Jones said he would accept the delay if his fellow members wanted to review background checks.