Chatham Town Manager Contract Extended To 2031

 CHATHAM – Town Manager Jill Goldsmith will continue as head of the municipal government through 2031.

 Goldsmith’s most recent contract was set to expire June 30, 2027. On a split vote March 3, the select board agreed to extend Goldsmith’s contract another four years to June 30, 2031. The board also agreed to extend her appointment as town manager under the town charter.

Goldsmith said she plans to retire at the end of the new agreement after 36 years in public service, 15 of them in Chatham.

 “I feel both grateful and proud of the work we’ve accomplished together,” she told the select board. “My goal over these next several years is to continue to support the board’s policy direction, strengthening the organization and ensuring the town is well-positioned for the next generation of leadership.”

 In an email, Goldsmith said that the extension aligns with the town’s long-range planning and allows for a “thoughtful leadership transition over time.”

The select board held two executive sessions with Goldsmith to negotiate the contract amendment. The two-page amendment extends the terms of her existing contract, with a 5 percent salary adjustment in 2027 followed by 3 percent annual hikes from 2028 to 2031. As of this July 1, her salary will be $231,014, rising to $265,057 in her final year as town manager.

While select board member Shareen Davis said the extension provides “important continuity and stability in the leadership of our town,” board members Cory Metters and Stuart Smith expressed concern that the action was being taken so far in advance.

“It’s a little unusual, timing-wise,” said Metters. Usually, negotiations for a contract that expires at the end of June would start the previous fall, he noted. He also indicated he had other issues that had been discussed in the executive sessions.

Chair Dean Nicastro said the town’s labor counsel had indicated that while the renewal was “somewhat early,” there were advantages to reviewing the contract this far in advance. Vice chair Jeffrey Dykens said he was not uncomfortable with the early renewal.

“The town is in good hands and running well,” he said, lauding the management team Goldsmith built. He said he was comfortable with Goldsmith continuing to serve for another four years, adding that other area towns have had difficulty replacing management with “true professionals.”

Smith also said that he outlined concerns about the renewal in the executive sessions, but said his opposition was primarily due to it being “unusually early.”

“Why we’re doing that has not been explained to my satisfaction,” he said, adding that it should wait at least until after the May annual town election.

Davis said the extension “reinforces our commitment to stable, professional governance” and ensures that the town will continue to benefit from Goldsmith’s “experience, her institutional knowledge and steady management.”

While he respected the other board members’ views, Nicastro said it was “in the best interest of the town to approve this appointment and this extension.”

Nicastro, Davis and Dykens voted in favor of the renewal, while Smith was opposed and Metters abstained. The vote paves the way for the executive session minutes to be released; the board was scheduled to vote to do so at its meeting on Tuesday, after The Chronicle’s deadline.