Barre Select Board Appoints Andrew Goalless as New Town Administrator

BARRE — June 15, 2017 — Barre Select Board votes 2-1 to hire Andrew Goalless as town administrator. The board convened June 15 to deliberate on three finalists — Goalless, Matthew Garside, and a candidate identified only as Candice — all holding master's degrees in public administration, before Vice Chair Mark Regienus moved to appoint Goalless and Clerk Richard Stevens seconded. Chair Dr. Maureen Marshall voted no, stating her preference for Candice, but immediately made a second motion, passed unanimously, committing the board to entering contract negotiations with Goalless. Members cited Goalless's municipal procurement experience, IT literacy, and economic-development orientation as key strengths, while flagging concerns about a third finalist's interview answers that, in Regienus's words, bore "striking similarities" in phrasing to the two previously televised candidates. The board then moved to executive session to set a negotiating schedule with labor counsel.