Liam Brailey was living in Cary, North Carolina, a city of over 180,000, and working as the cities’ budget manager just a few short months ago.

Brailey interviewed for the role of Swampscott’s finance director this winter, and has since said he thoroughly enjoyed the people he met and culture he saw during the interview process. When he heard there was another opening in Town Hall, Brailey thought it would be a great fit.

Brailey has been serving as the town’s treasurer & collector since March, and he has already gotten his feet wet working with Finance Director Patrick Luddy to create a long-term financial model for the town.

“I’ve really enjoyed it so far,” said Brailey of his new role. “It’s a little different from what I was doing in North Carolina.”

Despite the differences, Brailey said he picked up valuable experience in debt and cash management which he is applying to his current position.

“I think I have a good ethical and moral grounding, which when you’re working on larger sums of money and dealing with tough collection scenarios, that is something that is really important,” said Brailey. “I have a lot of experience with out of the box thinking and coming up with solutions during tougher financial times.”

Brailey’s main responsibilities as the treasurer and collector include safeguarding taxpayer’s money and ensuring town finances are handled properly.

“As the treasurer and collector I’m responsible for making sure that we collect all of the revenues that we’re owed and making sure the money goes out the door responsibly to the right place,” said Brailey. “Also that our investments make sense and are giving us the highest return possible while ensuring safety and liquidity.”

In his first couple of months, Brailey has emphasized finding efficient practices to use in the role.

“I view my role as ‘how can I bring in some new energy and make their lives easier,’” said Brailey. “I think a lot of the town is operating on paper and the systems that have worked for so long, and there’s a little bit of an opportunity to say ‘what are the easy ways of making things more efficient.’”

Residents have heard from town leaders – as well as the then-candidates for Select Board during a debate held by the Swampscott Tides – about the importance of bringing in new tax dollars into town by opening more businesses on available land. Brailey said he is also intrigued by the potential of new opportunities in the near future.

“With the Town Meeting coming up, there are a lot of big financial questions,” said Brailey. “We do see those stressors on the horizon but it’s also one of the things that drew me to this job. It felt like there were exciting things coming. There are opportunities in Vinnin. There are opportunities down here (near Town Hall) to add some more development. It’s not a town that’s resting on its laurels and not trying. There are a lot of exciting projects in the works or about to be thought of.”

Brailey also invited residents to contact him with any questions they might have regarding tax money.

“It’s a really pretty town,” he said. “I really enjoy working in this beautiful building and being right on the water.”