HAVERHILL — After introducing an interim town administrator candidate last month, the Selectboard has decided to instead hold off on filling the role pending a permanent replacement.
The former candidate, St. Johnsbury resident Brent Abare, said in a Thursday comment that he supports the Selectboard’s decision and had been treated respectfully throughout the internal hiring process.
“It was a good fit,” said Abare.
At a Sept. 14 meeting, the Selectboard announced that Brent Abare had offered to serve temporarily as town administrator as Haverhill goes through a formal hiring process, and the town opted to give him a chance.
But at the meeting, some residents expressed concerns over past media coverage involving Abare. The Caledonian Record reported that, during his time on the Blue Mountain Union School Board back in 2018, the other board members voted unanimously to censure him.
Abare explained that the school board was dealing with a contentious merger, and some people reacted poorly to his refusal to vote in favor of the merger, a decision he felt reflected what voters wanted.
Abare offered to respond to any other questions or concerns, and Selectboard Vice Chair Ron Hurlburt said they felt comfortable giving Abare a chance to take on the role due to his candidness.
“And the media, as we all know, they don’t like to print good stuff,” Vickie Wyman, the Selectboard chair, said at the meeting.
Hurlburt also specified that if either party was unhappy with the arrangement, they could go their separate ways at any time.
Two weeks later, the Selectboard issued a statement on Sept. 28 that it would not move forward with Abare as an interim town administrator candidate.
“I was looking forward to serving Haverhill in an interim, short-term and part-time capacity until a permanent Town Administrator could be hired,” Abare said. “I regret that family commitments made me unable to provide more meaningful contributions to Haverhill.”
Furthermore, the town won’t hire anyone for the role just yet.
“This decision reflects the Board’s concerns about providing a temporary appointee with access to sensitive internal operations, confidential personnel matters, and private records,” according to the statement shared by Wyman.
The open position comes after the former town administrator, Tom Galinat, resigned in August, then went on to claim that town officials improperly handled audits and a forensic audit.
At a 2025 town meeting, a petitioned article to spend $100,000 on a forensic audit of town finances passed to investigate spending from 2019 onward.
Forensic auditor for Haverhill Scott Eagan wrote in an Aug. 11 letter that he has made no findings of concern nor reported any to Galinat, as shared by the Selectboard at a meeting. The town’s work has been consistent with procedures, he said.
Before Galinat’s eight months as town administrator, former administrator Brigitte Codling stepped down and sued the town over her treatment in the role, the Valley News reported. Selectboard member Rod O’Shana served on an interim basis between Codling and Galinat from June 2024 until December 2025.
At the 2024 Town Meeting, the town voted to change Codling’s role as town manager to town administrator, which gave her less autonomy, and she resigned.
In her 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.
Codling’s case against the town of Haverhill and selectboard members at the time, Michael Graham, Kevin Knapp, Steven Robbins and Katie Williams, remains ongoing.
The Selectboard will continue handling town administrator responsibilities during the hiring process. They have reached out to Dave Eversten, of Municipal Solutions LLC, a consulting firm for local governments, according to the Monday statement.
Galinat earned $115,000 per year, he told the Valley News in August.
Reached Friday by email, Wyman declined to share details about why the Selectboard chose not to move forward with Abare or regarding the cost of a possible contract with Municipal Solutions, noting that when additional information is available, they’ll share it at a public meeting.
