McGrail Takes Over Harwich’s Administrative Reins March 16

HARWICH – The select board has entered into a three-year contract with new Town Administrator James P. “Jay” McGrail, who will start work on Monday, March 16. 

Acting Town Administrator Tony Schiavi’s fulltime service to the town is due to expire on Friday under home rule charter provisions. On Monday the select board agreed during an executive session on a contract with Police Chief Kevin Considine to serve as interim town administrator until McGrail arrives.

Schiavi reaches his second 90-day-appointment on Friday. According to the charter, the 90-day appointment may be renewed just once. 

 “Tony is full time until next Friday,” said Select Board Chair Donald Howell. “He’ll be working on the warrant and budget. It will be a soft departure, he’ll continue part-time doing piece work.”

 McGrail has served as the town manager in Middleborough for three-and-a-half years. He served as the town administrator in Marion from 2019 to 2022, and spent a year as director of facilities in the Sandwich Public Schools in 2018-2019.

 He was one of three finalists interviewed by the select board on Jan.10 and received the unanimous support of the board. The board finalized the appointment with a contract agreement on Jan. 20. McGrail’s annual salary starting out will be $230,000, and the three-year contract provides for a 3 percent annual increase in each of the succeeding years. He will also receive an annual stipend of $10,000 as long as the town maintains its AAA bond rating.

 The town administrator is exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act and not entitled to overtime pay, according to the contract.

The town administrator shall be required to devote the amount of time necessary to effectively, professionally and diligently discharge the duties of the position and manage the affairs of the town of Harwich, and the employees under his supervision, which may include evening and/or weekend hours, according to the contract. It is understood that it is necessary for the town administrator to maintain office hours consistent with town hall's regular business hours.

McGrail will get 30 days of vacation. The contract does not allow for the carryover of unused vacation time to the next year. The contract also does not allow a buy back of days in exchange for compensation. 

 Howell said he and Schiavi have been talking with McGrail on a daily basis, and one of the reasons the budget was done early was to provide a soft landing for McGrail. During the upcoming interim period, Howell said, the five major department heads will be “all hands on deck.” 

 On Monday the select board praised the service of Schiavi as acting town administrator.

 “Tony’s been terrific, it’s been so stable, he’s totally changed the culture of things,” Howell said of Schiavi’s service.

 “It was a six-month sentence,” Select Board member Peter Piekarski said of Schiavi’s service. “We are grateful, the town is grateful, we’re much better off because of it.”