Finalist for Hingham town administrator job denies accusations
Finalist for Hingham town administrator job denies accusations
Denies reports about his performance in two previous jobs
For city managers, politics can make for short stays (12/03/08)
HINGHAM — Town administrator finalist Paul Beecher denied allegations concerning his last two positions when he and the other two finalists met with selectmen on Tuesday night.
“You can see that life for me would be exciting if you believe everything you read in the newspaper,” Beecher said.
When Beecher left his last two positions – city manager in Kingman, Ariz. and Dover, N.H. – he left controversial situations behind. After he left the Dover job in 2004, he was blasted for, at the last minute, giving the police chief a 10-year contract entitling him to annual 7 percent raises and, eventually, 34 weeks of paid vacation.
Kingman Mayor Monica Gates accused him of working short days and ruling with “an iron fist.” He was fired after the council learned that he had signed a $28,000 severance agreement with the city’s economic director without consulting them.
Beecher did not deny any specifics other than Gates’ characterization of his work, which he said was completely inaccurate.
Hingham Selectman Bruce Rabuffo brought up an article published in The Patriot Ledger on Tuesday. It detailed the circumstances Beecher left behind. Beecher was not available for comment before publication of that article, and Rabuffo offered the candidate an opportunity to speak out.
Rabuffo said each candidate “had issues” they had “fessed up to” in interviews, and Beecher was “very forthright” in his answering.
Beecher said many problems in Kingman erupted after he was gone.
“Everything I did was in my authority,” he said. “I can say that I’ve never done anything illegal, immoral or unethical in any place I’ve worked or in my life.
“From a factual standpoint, it’s almost all inaccurate,” he said of the articles written about him in each city.
The other two finalists are Jill Myers, town manager in Uxbridge, and Kevin Paicos, town manager in Ashburnham. All were questioned by the board for about 30 minutes.
The selectmen will discuss the finalists on Thursday.