Select Board Signals Intent to Renew Administrator’s Contract

The Cohasset Select Board has voted 3-2 in favor of an intent to renew Town Administrator Chris Senior’s contract, setting the stage for formal negotiations. The decision, made during the board’s February 11 meeting, does not finalize a contract extension but indicates the board’s willingness to negotiate a new agreement.

While the majority of the board supported moving forward with discussions, the vote revealed a split in opinion regarding Senior’s tenure and the future of town leadership.

“I don’t think that it’s appropriate to renew Mr. Senior’s contract,” said Select Board member Jack Creighton, who raised concerns about term limits and long-standing incumbency. “After a while, we should decide we’re going to see what else is out there.”

Board member David Froio also opposed the intent to renew, citing various governance challenges over the past year. “If you saw all of that in just one year, it might make you have a pause as to what you'd be looking to extend anybody on those circumstances,” he said.

Despite the opposition, Select Board Chair Ellen Maher, along with members Chris Flax and Paul Grady, voted in favor of proceeding with negotiations.

“This is simply a vote to advise that the Select Board has an intent to renew,” Maher clarified during the meeting. “It’s not an automatic renewal of the contract.”

The next step involves appointing a subcommittee to negotiate terms with Senior, with final approval of the contract still to be determined.

Senior, who has served as Cohasset’s Town Administrator since 2014, is currently in the final year of his contract, which is set to expire in 2025.