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Mark Fisher, at his desk in Avon, will soon leave town for the town administrator position in North Attleboro.
Fisher headed south to North Attleboro
By Candace Hall
Tue Jun 19, 2007, 01:16 PM EDT
Avon -After working six months as Avon’s town administrator, Mark Fisher will leave the position July 27 to work as town administrator in North Attleboro.
Fisher, who lives in North Attleboro and worked for that town for 36 years before coming to Avon, said his decision to leave has nothing to do with Avon.
“Avon has been absolutely tremendous from a town administrator’s point of view,” he said. “The board of selectmen has given me all the latitude a town administrator can dream of.”
Fisher, who worked as acting town administrator in North Attleboro before coming to Avon, said the only reason he is leaving is because he always has wanted to work as the North Attleboro town administrator. He applied for the job before, but did not get appointed because he failed to get the required four out of five affirmative votes from the town’s board of selectmen, required from a town bylaw.
Fisher then reapplied for the job, along with 33 other applicants, and was voted town administrator by the North Attleboro Board of Selectmen last Monday, June 11
Though the town bylaw later was changed to require only three out of five votes, Fisher received a four-vote majority.
Fisher’s history with North Attleboro includes working as a firefighter and serving on town boards, including park and recreation, and the business and industry commission. He served as a North Attleboro selectman for 9-1/2 years before stepping down to become the town’s acting town administrator.
When Fisher came to Avon, he was the first person to work as a town administrator. The town previously had worked with three executive secretaries, a position that was created six years ago. The position was changed to town administrator during Town Meeting last year.
Fisher said he has worked to create an improved structure for town operations, which includes clarifying the duties of each town department, restructuring the town budget and creating more flexibility in department spending. He also helped the town to restructure its capital improvements program to a five-year plan so each department head now lists its needs into three categories - vehicles, technology, and other projects - and must plan for financial needs down the road.
Fisher said the town administrator job in Avon actually was more challenging than the job in North Attleboro, despite the fact that Avon’s population is only about 7,400 and North Attleboro’s is approximately 29,000. He said this is because Avon does not have the back-up staff of the larger town, including a human resources director and a highway superintendent.
“In North Attleboro, I have six people in my office to assist me,” he said.
Despite the extra responsibilities, Avon has not matched the salary of the North Attleboro position. Fisher was receiving $70,000 in Avon. He’ll get a range that could start as high as $100,000 in North Attleboro.
But Fisher said he did not leave because of the salary difference.
“I took the Avon job knowing the salary, and it’s been fine,” he said.
Right now, Fisher said he is working to create a central data system for the town, so that all departments have access to the same data. He also has helped to update the town’s Web site.
He said he wanted to thank all the town employees, including selectmen, department heads and staff, as well as the town citizens, for their support.
“Everyone has treated me tremendously. I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” he said.
