The Select Board unanimously approved a new three-year employment contract for Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer on May 28, granting him a $15,922 salary increase and enhanced benefits through June 2028.
The agreement, effective June 6, raises Kezer’s annual compensation to $218,800 from his current base salary of around $202,878 (factoring in 2% annual increases from his $195,000 starting in 2022). The contract includes automatic 2% cost-of-living adjustments beginning July 1, 2026, and continuing each July 1 thereafter during the three-year term.
Under the new agreement, Kezer will receive 30 working days of vacation annually, an increase from his previous 25 days, while maintaining 15 sick days per year and a $5,000 annual automobile allowance paid in two installments.
Kezer’s new base salary of $218,800 in fiscal year 2026 positions him among the highest-paid town administrators in comparable Massachusetts municipalities. According to OpenGovPay, Hingham Town Administrator Thomas Mayo earned $266,156 in calendar year 2023, while Winchester Town Manager Beth Rudolph earned $208,000 and Milton Town Administrator Nicholas Milano earned $188,741 that same year. Kezer’s compensation exceeds that of administrators in Duxbury ($178,438), Sudbury ($215,000) and Manchester-by-the-Sea ($168,088) and sits near the top of the range for towns with similar populations and governance structures.
The contract notably omits formal performance review requirements, continuing a provision from Kezer’s original 2022 agreement.
“Where this is a last contract extension because he is retiring after it we didn’t include a new term about a performance review,” Select Board Chair Erin Noonan told the Current. “It was not in his original contract and his performance was superior over the last contract. I would think when the Select Board goes back out to market at the end of his term a new contract going forward would have one.”
At a May 28 public meeting, Select Board member Moses Grader praised Kezer’s strategic approach during the contract discussions.
“You’re one of the reasons why we’re able to bring a level of sophistication and strategy around how to restructure the town without an override, making use of the resources that we have,” Grader said. “We’re super pleased to have you finish out your career with us.”
“We’re just really happy to have got to this point and that you’d like to stay,” Noonan told Kezer during the May 28 meeting. “It’s something that is mutually agreeable and reflective of cost-of-living adjustment in the first year, as well as merit-based performance review and changes in market conditions.”
Kezer’s tenure has included substantial accomplishments alongside persistent fiscal pressures. The town continues to rely on free cash reserves to balance its budget, with projections showing potential deficits reaching $14 million by 2030 without intervention.
The town administrator recently concluded lengthy negotiations with three major municipal unions after more than a year of talks. The Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations issued a three-count complaint against the town on Feb. 10, finding probable cause that officials violated state labor laws during contract negotiations with municipal employees.
Kezer also served on the negotiating team in contract talks with teachers, which included an 11-day strike. He called the strike illegal and blamed the union for disrupting schools.
Kezer faced criticism for his handling of police officer Christopher Gallo’s disciplinary hearing and firing. A state arbitrator ordered the town to rehire Gallo. The case cost the town at least $340,000 in administrative leave pay, insurance premiums and legal bills.
Modernization efforts under Kezer
Despite challenges, Marblehead has undertaken significant technological modernization under Kezer’s leadership. The town signed a three-year, $1.02 million contract with Tyler Technologies in late 2023 to replace its outdated administrative system with cloud-based Munis software. The implementation cost $461,000 with ongoing annual maintenance of $187,000.
The town also adopted ClearGov, a budgeting and transparency platform costing $23,433 initially plus $36,400 annually, allowing residents to view detailed budget and performance data online. The Mary Alley Municipal Building has undergone significant renovations.
Kezer has filled leadership positions during his tenure, including appointing Aleesha Benjamin as finance director in January 2023 and Thomas Howard as the town’s first human resources director in January 2024. Most recently, the Select Board appointed Brendan Callahan as director of the new Community Development and Planning Department in February.
Contract terms and provisions
The new agreement runs from June 6 through June 5, 2028. Kezer must provide 60 days’ written notice before resigning, and the town retains the right to terminate him for just cause or without cause, with severance provisions applying only to termination without cause.
If terminated without just cause, Kezer would receive a lump sum payment for the balance of compensation due through the remainder of the contract term. The agreement includes no severance pay for resignation or non-renewal.
The contract maintains Kezer’s eligibility for all town employee benefits, including health and life insurance. He will continue receiving reimbursement for professional development, dues and reasonable expenses incurred in performing his duties.
Kezer began his tenure in June 2022 after serving as Amesbury mayor and Framingham chief operating officer. He inherited a municipal government with multiple vacant senior finance positions and outdated administrative systems.
In his recent State of the Town address, Kezer highlighted fiscal achievements including $2.3 million in investment income for fiscal year 2024 and implementing new financial management systems.
“I can’t believe it’s been three years,” Kezer said during the contract approval meeting. “I’m having fun doing this. One of the things I’m most proud of in the last few years is the team that we’ve built and the collaboration between the team working together.”
The town administrator specifically praised the Select Board’s unity during challenging periods, noting his initial concerns about transitioning from mayoral leadership to working with a five-member board had been resolved.
“What’s really important is having a really good board, being able to work with every member,” Kezer said. “It’s even more important when the wheels are falling off the wagon and all hell is breaking loose, and having a board that’s solid, that works with you.”
