Jason Silva, one of three finalists for Swampscott’s town administrator position, shared his experience regionalizing municipal resources, calling the effort “a really positive impact for the town.”

Currently serving as Dunstable’s town administrator, Silva interviewed with the Select Board on August 18 at Swampscott High School.

Silva described having to “play catch-up” with the budget process when he was first hired, as Groton had started planning well before Dunstable for the overall Groton-Dunstable Regional School District.

“For the second year I was there, we tightened the budget calendar. The same day they started, we were at the table with you, and we created a budget committee,” Silva said. “It’s relieved a lot of tension because we all have a full understanding of where we’re at.”

Outside of education, Dunstable has transitioned additional town positions into regional roles.

“When open positions have arisen, we evaluate the position and what our options are,” Silva said. “The first position that came up was the treasurer collector position in town…I was able to work with our neighboring town in Pepperell and now we have a shared treasurer collector position. It was really important to us to have that shared treasurer collector position because we’re a small community and to be able to recruit somebody who has experience, is capable, was very difficult for us.”

During Silva’s tenure, Dunstable also began sharing a town clerk with Pepperell.

“It takes developing positive relationships with the neighboring community,” Silva said. “We’re the smaller community in both cases, and we’ve been able to work it out so that there’s flexibility. We have a level of trust that when the staff’s needed in one place, go for it, we know we’re going to get you at some point. It’s been working really well.”

Silva, who became Dunstable’s town administrator in 2022, joked to the Select Board that he’s “not really looking for a job.”  When consultant Rick White contacted him about the opening in Swampscott, Silva said he looked into the area and spoke with friends who live and work in town. 

“It seemed like a place where my interests and my skills align,” Silva said. “Based on that research, I think it’s an exciting time. I like the planning and economic development component of the work. That always tends to be a focus of mind. You have some exciting things going on that I think I could help with. Financially, while it’s clear that there are some headwinds coming, you’re in a pretty good position. You have some levy capacity, which shows some levy discipline. I tend to gravitate toward budgets and finance as well.”

Silva added that Swampscott’s staff are “really dedicated.”

Select Board Member Mary Ellen Fletcher asked Silva if he would “undo” any of the appointments made by interim Town Administrator Gino Cresta, which were all made contingent on the future town administrator’s approval.

“The Select Board appointed Gino as interim because the Select Board trusts Gino and the work that he does. He’s been here for a long time, and I’m quite sure he didn’t make these appointments or decisions in a vacuum. I’m sure they were departments, department heads and oversight boards…that were involved in making those decisions, appointments,” Silva said. “I wouldn’t treat them any different than anything else.”

Silva said for the town positions as well as other decisions he will observe and listen first.

“I will do a lot more learning than acting the first several months I started,” Silva said. 

Select Board Chair Katie Phelan asked Silva a hypothetical scenario to raise his thoughts around town staff morale and how he could raise it without going against agendas set forth by the Select Board.

“For me (morale) is critically important to the success of the organization, and my personal success. It has become a major priority of mine and a major focus to make sure that people are happy in the workplace and enjoy their job,” Silva said. “I think the foundation for all of that is building trust within the organization, making sure people are communicating transparently what is happening and why it is happening.”

With Swampscott having multiple contract negotiations in the near future, Silva also shared that transparency in the finances is important and “prioritizing on both sides to make sure that we understand what’s important to us.” As town administrator in Marblehead from June 2018 to February 2022, Silva negotiated contracts, which he said lead him to believe that the conversation is integral to the process.

“I think it’s really important that people understand that very fact: we are not going to agree on everything. That’s the way this is,” Silva said. “You may yell at me. I may yell at you. It’s okay. When we leave the table, when we leave the room, we’re okay. It’s never going to affect our relationship or our ability to work with each other.”

Silva discussed in the interview harder financial decisions he’s had to make as well, especially one that he brought up about his time in Marblehead. Silva had uncovered an illegal attempt to hold off paying fiscal year 2018 bills so they can be covered by 2019 funds.

“It was a decision that was made, and I don’t think anybody did it with bad intentions or anything like that. There were disagreements on what to do and how it was done and all of that…I just think it was a really tough year and that was an option,” Silva said. “But once you know about it, it is illegal, so there’s certain things I have to do under the law. It was a terrible situation. It was awful.”

He said that disagreements – even those smaller than a deficit issue – are natural though in the town administrator role. 

“The way I look at this role is when I’m presented with an issue, I provide a recommendation to the oversight boards on what I think is best and how I think the town should handle it,” Silva said. “But I also recognize a lot of the times it’s not my decision ultimately. There will be times when I make it known what my opinion is, but I also understand and respect the fact that it may not go that way. And before we get to a meeting, each individual will know what my opinion is and how I feel about it so that there are no surprises, and hopefully we will have a relationship individually where I’ll know where you’re coming from, you’ll know where I’m coming from.”