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An
Interview with Mark Rees
Well I do go to a lot of meetings. But as a town manager, I also work on putting together the town budget. I work together with the finance committee to make sure the town has enough money to operate. I’m in charge of a lot of personnel issues with town employees. I do a lot of work with the fire and police departments when they need equipment or when there are issues with personnel. I work under the policy
direction of the Board of Selectmen. As the Town Manager,
I supervise town departments, recommend annual budgets,
enforce town by-laws, addresse citizen concerns and
represent the town to other municipalities, state and
federal governments. Do You like being a town manager? Yes, I like it very much, this is my dream job. I enjoy working with all the departments and the board of selectmen and other boards like the one your mother sits on. What is your greatest accomplishment? There are several things that I and the Town should be proud of: we should be proud of the recent Bond rating increases, which recognize our improved financial management, and the recently renovated Town Hall ,including handicap accessibility. I am also proud of the greater emphasis on customer service, improving the town’s infrastructure by replacing and providing water and sewer upgrades, maintaining town and school buildings and replacing old equipment. What is your favorite book? The one that sticks in my mind is the Power Broker by Robert Caro. Why do we need a new police station? The existing police station built in 1968. The current police force has inadequate space for locker rooms, bathrooms, training and dispatch. The building creates an unhealthy work environment with serious air circulation problems causing, mold and other environmental problems. The existing building is also unsafe for the public and police officers with compromised security for handling prisoners. In summary, in order to provide for the highest level of police services to the community, the police department needs a facility that can accommodate the latest law enforcement technologies, provide for a safe working environment for department employees and the public and provide for reasonable growth for the future. How much will it cost? The initial estimates of
9.1 million had been reduced to 8.26 million. With
further reductions by the Board of Selectmen, the debt
exclusion override amount will be $7.35 million. If the
town is able to sell the land of the existing
police station , the cost will be reduced even further. Do you think North Andover is becoming too big for Town Meeting? No, I do not. I support Town Meetings and believe Town Meeting provides greater input from the citizens of North Andover. It allows more involvement and greater democracy than other forms of government. Do you live in North Andover and do you have any children? I do live in North Andover and I am married with 2 children, a son and daughter. Do they go to the North Andover public schools? Yes, they both go to North Andover High School. Are you happy with the education they are receiving in North Andover? As a parent and as the Town Manager, I am very happy with my children’s education and the school system in North Andover. What are the qualifications for being a Town Manager? Well, I can talk about my qualification. Basically, my career began as the Director of Purchasing in Orange County, North Carolina. Then I became the Assistant Township Manager in O’Hara, PA. In 1987, I became the first Town Administrator for Ashburnham, MA, a town of about 5 thousand people. Then in 1992, I became the first Town Manager of Northbridge, MA and in 1996, I became the Chief Financial Officer for The Town of Framingham. Finally, in 2001 I became the Town Manager for North Andover. Did you get elected like Mayor Sullivan, who I interviewed last month. No. I was hired by the Board of Selectman. So basically, I got elected by 5 people. Do you sit on the School Committee like Mayor Sharon Pollard does in Methuen? No, Methuen is a city and it has a very different form of government. There, the Mayor is elected to sit on the School Commmittee as the Chairman. Here in North Andover, the School Department is a seperate entity. The Chairman of the School Committee is elected among School Committee members. *Send your comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com |
What does the town manager do
besides going to meetings?