HAVERHILL — A St. Johnsbury resident strolled into town offices to ask what he could do to help the community following a sudden departure of its town administrator. One month later, he got the job.
But some residents are concerned about his past unflattering media coverage.
At the Monday meeting, the Selectboard introduced Brent Abare, the new, temporary town administrator. Following his introduction, a few members of the public said that they felt he wasn’t properly vetted.
Abare recently retired as an acquisition specialist at the VA in White River Junction, where he explained that he was “reportable to the community,” and the same goes for this new role. He noted that his primary responsibility will be to serve as the interface between the Selectboard and the public to help support everyone.
But there’s still a lot to learn, Abare said, adding that he’ll start by listening and observing to integrate into town affairs. Coming from Vermont, he’s not well versed in New Hampshire statutes, but is hoping the community can bring him up to speed.
In St. Johnsbury, Abare has served as town moderator, Board of Civil Authority chair, and justice of the peace, he said. He previously served on the Blue Mountain Union School Board, which proved to be a contentious role.
In 2018, Abare voted against a merger with Orange East Supervisory Union, but his alleged conduct during that period led other board members to unanimously censure him for personal threats, according to the Caledonian Record.
Speaking at Monday’s meeting, Abare said the merger was an emotional topic in his community, and he refused to change his vote, which he believed overwhelmingly represented what the community wanted: not to merge. He added that a vocal minority acted out against this choice.
“If you want to see the worst of a community, deal with a merger situation,” said Abare. “But if you need help, I can help guide you.”
Ron Hurlburt, selectboard vice chair, noted that the town is conducting a thorough background check on Abare that could affect the future of his temporary employment, for which there is no contract.
“If Brent isn’t happy here, if we’re not happy with him, it just ends,” Hurlburt said at the meeting.
Neither Hurlburt nor Chair Vickie Wyman responded to a Tuesday morning email inquiring about Abare’s pay or the hiring process for a permanent position. So far, Selectboard members have been volunteering their time.
Galinat earned $115,000 per year, he told the Valley News last month.
Joe Longacre, a North Haverhill resident, pointed out that the decision is a “big deal” to residents due to the difficult town administrator history, and he finds past reporting about Abare’s character concerning.
“I don’t have a lot of faith in the media, but there’s not been good articles out there when it comes to you as an individual,” said Longacre.
Addressing attendees, Abare described a 2023 incident in which he was involved in a verbal and physical altercation in Groton. Vermont State Police detained the other person for aggravated assault. Abare said the other person had been blocking entry to a railroad bed, and Abare was cited for disorderly conduct.
Hurlburt pointed out that Abare has been direct and honest about his history throughout the process. While he offered his services a month ago, they’ve only been in conversation for about two weeks, he said.
“And the media, as we all know, they don’t like to print good stuff. It’s always the negative, drama, drama, drama,” said Wyman, the Selectboard chair.
Abare told Selectboard attendees that people can write whatever they want online and there’s nothing he can do about it, but he’s open to responding to specific concerns and doing what he can to help support officials and residents.
Hurlburt shared that Abare was the “one and only” person to express interest in the vacancy so far.
“Nobody can predict the future, so the board figured the only way to find these things out is to move forward and give people a shot,” said Hurlburt.
Abare is replacing Tom Galinat, who served less than one year of a three-year contract. Galinat wrote in an Aug. 4 resignation letter that he was stepping down due to time constraints, but followed up days later with a second letter claiming the Selectboard engaged in improper auditing practices.
At an Aug. 17 meeting, the Selectboard heard a statement from the town’s auditor, Scott Eagan, confirming that he has not seen anything concerning in a forensic audit or the town’s financial procedures to date.
Selectboard member Rod O’Shana served on an interim basis from June 2024 until Galinat took over in November 2025. This arrangement followed former administrator Brigitte Codling’s resignation and her lawsuit against the town over her treatment in the role, which remains ongoing.
The town voted in 2024 to change Codling’s role from town manager to town administrator, which provides less autonomy. In her resignation letter, she wrote that this came after a period of being “disrespected, insulted, harassed, criticized and threatened,” sparked by a contentious contract negotiation between the town and the Woodsville Fire Department.
