Selectmen Spar Over Election of New Chairman

The typically routine matter of electing a new chairman of the Board of Selectmen was anything but on Monday night, with one board member expressing his displeasure at being bypassed for the position and another saying he thinks the town manager is looking to leave Salem because of the way he has been treated by one board member.

Pat Hargreaves, who served as board chair two years ago, was elected chairman by a 3-1-1 vote, with Mike Lyons voting against and Jim Keller abstaining. Outgoing Chairman Everett McBride was elected vice chairman and Stephen Campbell secretary.

The vote came after Keller ripped into his fellow councilors for refusing to give him an opportunity to serve in the chairman's role.

"When I ran, I ran on a platform of a new approach, and it's difficult to even have an attempt to instill a new approach if one isn't given the opportunity to do that," Keller said. "Apparently there's no desire to see a new approach or to share responsibility.

"I think there's a fundamental sense of an issue around fairness," he added. "I have constituents, as we all do, and they want their voice heard, they want everyone to get a chance at leadership... One thing I've learned in business is repetitive authority or power leads to outcomes that aren't necessarily desirable. You get into patterns of behavior, you get into patterns of interaction, and I don't think that's healthy in anything. I'd like a shot, and I want people to know I'm asking for a shot... I think I deserve a shot. I don't think it's fair and I don't think it's healthy for the town."

When Keller was done speaking, Lyons also spoke up, saying he had doubts about Hargreaves as board chairman when he was elected to that post two years ago, but he was "pleasantly surprised" by Hargreaves' performance.

"I had one request. I wanted you to protect the town manager from being bogged down by one selectman, and I thought you did an excellent job of that," Lyons said. "In the past year, that has not happened, and hence Mr. Hickey is interviewing... and I believe that is what happened."

Hickey is a finalist for the town manager's job in Dracut, MA and was expected to interview for the position on Tuesday. Lyons did not say which selectman he was referring to.

For his part, Hargreaves said he attempted to reach both Keller and Lyons by phone before Monday's vote. He pledged Monday to keep the board operating "as organized and as fair this year as I did two years ago."