May 5, 2021 by Carol Britton Meyer
During his annual performance review by the Selectmen -- which is required to be done during a public meeting -- Town Administrator Tom Mayo was praised for a job well done, particularly during the pandemic, including his efforts to keep town employees and citizens safe. He is entering his fourth year in this role.
The Advisory Committee chair and three department heads with whom Mayo interacts frequently also weighed in, according to Selectmen Chair Mary Power, but did not speak during last night's remote board meeting.
She commended Mayo for his loyalty and commitment to Hingham. "You always do what's best for the town," Power said.
Among his accomplishments, Mayo hired a water superintendent, a director of procurement, and a new town assessor, among other positions.
He also played a major role in the town's acquisition of the water company and helped save the ferry -- along with other town officials and residents from Hingham and other communities who were vocal opponents to the proposed cuts, which at that time could have led to elimination of ferry service rather than the resulting cuts currently in effect.
Power said that Mayo's ability to promote teamwork will be especially important when Town Hall begins to reopen in June "and there starts to be a rebuilding of the sense of community that was [evident in the past]," before the facility closed due to COVID-19.
If Town Meeting approves the proposed hiring of a second assistant town administrator (Michelle Monsegur is currently serving in the sole assistant role), Power said she hopes that Mayo would spend time coaching, developing, and mentoring recently-hired new employees, including some department heads.
"Our town will have big decisions to make in the future about our finances and development in South Hingham, and I hope you will have more time to focus on some of these longer-term issues," Power continued.
If the second assistant town administrator position is approved by Town Meeting, there will be an opportunity to "tighten up" the vast amount of correspondence from citizens and others that flows through the Selectmen's office and to reorganize the workload," Power suggested.
Mayo receives about 300 to 400 emails a day, and streamlining the communications process would allow him to delegate some of his workload to focus on other important issues, including policy implementation and long-term planning.
"You've been working super-human hours during the pandemic," Power said, "but it's not reasonable to expect that kind of commitment on an ongoing basis."
Power also praised Mayo for helping to keep town employees and citizens safe during COVID-19, establishing a restaurant reopening group, his major contribution in getting the Cushing Street testing site off the ground, and for securing $2.7 million in CARES Act COVID-19 reimbursement funding for the town.
Selectman Joe Fisher commended Mayo for his extraordinary work on behalf of Hingham -- "which is what makes everything work. His work ethic is unmatched, and paramount is his honesty, which flows through everything."
Fisher also noted Mayo's compassion for Hingham employees, citizens, and others who come to town for various reasons, whether dealing with an emergency or day-to-day town operations.
Selectman William Ramsey also spoke highly of Mayo. "You come to work on Monday and are going all day long, all week long, and during the weekends," he said.
When it was his turn to speak, Mayo referred to a reference made by Power to Hingham's strong volunteer base: "The degree to which they care about this town is unparalleled," he said. "Volunteers love this town, which exemplifies democracy at its best."
Mayo also said that many of the accomplishments he was praised for during the review were the result of a team effort. "I'm very blessed and lucky to work for a town like this and will always -- as promised in my interview for the job -- endeavor to do what's in the best interests of the community in every decision I make."
Mayo also promised to work on the goals set forth by the selectmen as outlined above.
The board is currently in the process of entering into a new contract with Mayo, which will soon be concluded, according to Power.