Board taps Suhoski

By Matthew Bernat
Turley Publications Reporter

STURBRIDGE - It’s unanimous – Sturbridge’s next town administrator will be Gardner resident and Ayer Town Administrator Shaun Suhoski.
The decision followed months of searching that courted controversy and elevated tension among residents and public officials alike. Monday night, selectmen ended the process in a show of solidarity. They voted 5-0 in favor of Suhoski after interviewing him and William Sheridan, the chief administrative officer for Laurel, Montana.
A third candidate, John D’Agostino, former town manager of Mansfield, Mass., was interviewed last week.
Board of Selectmen Chairwoman Mary Blanchard said Suhoski’s poise, experience with securing grants; knowledge of state agencies and economic development efforts made him the right choice.
“He answered all of our questions with composure and I feel he’ll be able to work well with the diverse personalities in town,” she said.
He answered the session’s most difficult question, posed by Selectman Thomas Creamer who asked about a operating under the influence charge brought against Suhoski in 2002.
Creamer prefaced the remark by saying elected officials should serve as the moral and ethical leaders of a community and also wanted to afford Suhoski a chance to explain the situation. At the time he was a city councilor.
Calling the incident an “unfortunate circumstance,” Suhoski said he was arrested Dec. 24 on Route 2 after striking the back of a tractor-trailer truck. He had left a holiday party that night, he said. The case was subsequently dismissed.
“It was unfortunate…I don’t hide from it, but I’m not proud of it,” Suhoski said.
Selectman Ted Goodwin said he appreciated Suhoski’s honesty regarding that matter. More importantly, Goodwin said his accomplishments after seven years as Ayer’s director of community and economic development and three years as its administrator were deciding factors in earning his vote.
“He has a strong understanding of the budget process and will be a great fit here,” Goodwin said.
While in Ayer, which has 7,300 residents and a $28 million operating budget, he balanced "fiscally-constrained" yearly budgets without the need for layoffs or cuts to services; served as acting superintendent of public works; created a tri-board to discuss regional issues (including the future of the defunct Fort Devens); and led a downtown improvement project that added parking and improved walkability and traffic issues, according to his resume.
To plan for Sturbridge’s future, Suhoski said he would work closely with the Master Plan Steering Committee responding to a question from Selectman Scott Garieri who asked him to talk about the most important issues confronting the town.
“What I see is a community that is facing the pressure of growth,” Suhoski said, adding he would “try to get a sense of where this community wants to go.”
Though selectmen voted him in, Suhoski will not be starting immediately.
According to his contract, he needs to provide 45 days notice before leaving. Also, he said he must be present for an early March vote in Ayer to regionalize the school district there. Contract negotiations between selectmen and Suhoski are pending as well.
During the session he also addressed some of the board member’s concerns regarding the details of town administration, including questions on his management style. He fielded town charter questions as well, saying, “I would not go against your charter.”
Selectmen Harold White asked why, after 10 years, now was the time for a change. Suhoski noted he was not under any pressure to leave. He said it was not an easy choice, but in the end he was looking for a new challenge. The town offered that challenge, he said.
“Everybody’s heard of Sturbridge,” he said. “It’s a relevant community.”