WATCH: Selectmen Shout Through Vote For New Interim Town Manager

STOUGHTON, MA — Tuesday night's selectmen meeting lasted roughly six minutes, but by the time it was over, Stoughton had another interim town manager.

Following a contentious meeting, which featured selectmen shouting over each other to vote on motions and some members of the audience arguing with members of the board and each following the end of the meeting, the board voted 3-2 to appoint former selectman Stephen Anastos the interim town manager. Like in previous matters related to the town manager situation, selectmen Robert O’Reagan and Michael Sullivan were the no votes.

O’Reagan called for the board to have an open application through noon Aug. 21, but that was voted down 2-3, with the voting blocks remaining consistent throughout the meeting. A motion by O’Reagan to table also failed by the same vote count.

At one point, O’Reagan called the meeting “a circus,” remarking that he didn’t even have a chance to look at the proposed agreement. As O’Reagan motioned several times to table the vote, Chairman David Sousa shouted though the motion and vote to make Anastos the apparent interim town manager.

"I remember not three meetings ago when the town treasurer came before this board and we were handed materials and three of you lambasted her. I remember meetings when we were passed information and the people were lambasted. It was made very clear by this board that they would not accept materials to vote on at the time of the meeting. That's exactly what this body is doing now." O'Reagan said.

Selectman Robert Cohn said a similar situation happened two boards ago and asked what the difference was.

Selectman Michael Sullivan made a motion take a 10 minute recess to review the contract, but the board declined to enter a brief recess. Selectman Peter Brown later accused O'Reagan of not having any intention of supporting any actions by the board.

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• Selectmen Chairman Defends Decision To Appoint Interim Town Manager
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Anastos is now the second person to have the position of interim town manager and the fourth person in the past month to have the responsibilities of the town manager. On June 29, Hartman was apparently ousted by the selectmen, with Town Accountant William Rowe named the interim town manager. Town Assessor Joe Gibbons has been the acting town manager when Rowe has been out of the office.

Hartman has since taken the Town to court. During a hearing in Norfolk Superior Court, an attorney for Hartman argued that four votes are needed to discharge a town manager according to the town charter. If a town manager is not discharged when their contract expires, they become an at-will employee without a contract. Town attorneys, however, said Hartman ceased to be a town employee when his contract expected on June 30.

A judge has taken the matter under advisement and is expected to make a decision soon.

While in the position, Anastos will receive a weekly salary of $3,269, which is $170,000 a year, according to the contract. The contract also has a provision that allows the board and Anastos to terminate the deal with 30 days written notice.

In the event that a judge rules that Hartman can return to work as the town manager, the agreement calls for modifications to comply with the ruling, including possibly suspending or terminating the agreement.

The contract between Anastos and the Town runs through Dec. 31, 2017.

Below is the full contract:

Stoughton Interim Town Manager Agreement by DanLibon on Scribd

Image: File Photo