By the time Plymouth County commissioners hired Troy Clarkson in August, the administrator’s job looked considerably different from the one they had advertised less than three months earlier.
The published posting topped out at $124,000. Clarkson’s three-year agreement pays $185,000. To make the higher salary fit within the existing budget without seeking additional money from the Plymouth County Advisory Board, commissioners eliminated two positions, including one held by Christopher Heffernan, whom they had hired less than a year earlier to train for the administrator’s job.
Clarkson was not a stranger to the people overseeing the process. He previously served as Plymouth County administrator, and Commission Chair Sandra Wright had publicly described him months earlier as a “very good friend of mine for many, many years.” Register of Deeds John Buckley, who served on the committee that selected the finalists, would later call Clarkson a good friend and “an obvious choice” to advance.
Commissioner Jared Valanzola, the lone vote against Clarkson’s appointment, offered a more pointed assessment during a July 1 public meeting: “the fix was in.”
Wright rejects that characterization. She said the commissioners initially favored three different candidates, with Valanzola supporting Heffernan, Commissioner Greg Hanley backing Clarkson and Wright preferring former Norwell Town Administrator Darleen Sullivan.
“We all went in having our preferred people,” Wright said. “I know Jared was for Chris. Greg was for Troy. And I wanted Darleen. But if we voted that route, we would have had to repost the position because it was a stalemate.”
Wright eventually moved away from Sullivan and joined Hanley in backing Clarkson. Wright could not recall if those conversations happened in executive session or in 1-on-1 conversations. Hanley did not return repeated calls for comment.
But the story of how Clarkson returned to Plymouth County began well before those interviews.
Advocating for the County’s Existence
Four months before Clarkson signed his employment agreement, he appeared before commissioners with a different assignment: make the case for why county government should exist at all.
The April 23 presentation came amid a debate in Hanover, where Select Board member Rachel Hughes had proposed an article seeking to withdraw the town from Plymouth County. The proposal was not ultimately put to a vote, but it raised a larger question about the county’s purpose.
Massachusetts dismantled most of its county governments beginning in the 1990s, when Gov. William Weld and other reform advocates argued they had become a costly and redundant layer of government. Plymouth County was among those that survived.
Clarkson told commissioners that Wright had asked him to speak. Wright introduced him warmly, noting that he was a “very good friend of mine for many, many years, as he is friends of most of us here.”
Clarkson, a former Plymouth County administrator and former Hanover town manager, argued that county government could play a larger role by providing regional services to municipalities.
Hughes, who said she was not invited to attend the presentation, was unconvinced.
“If you listened to him, he was praising the commissioners, and everything he talked about had nothing to do with the commissioners. The Brockton Superior Court project he cited is a state project, not county,” said Hughes. “He never then once went back to talk about anything of value that the commissioners did.”
Less than a month later, commissioners would begin deciding who should run the county Clarkson had just defended.
The Succession Plan Changes
The May 21 meeting was contentious.
According to multiple people who spoke with the South Shore Times, retiring Administrator Frank Basler had previously made clear his intention to leave. That anticipated retirement was why commissioners had approved a succession plan the previous fall and hired Heffernan to train for the administrator’s position.
Now Wright and Hanley wanted to change course and open the job to a competitive search.
Valanzola strongly objected, pointing out that both the commissioners and Plymouth County Advisory Board had unanimously approved the earlier plan.
“I think, as you both may recall, we had a succession plan that was approved unanimously by all three of us back in November,” Valanzola said. He argued that the employees hired under the plan had been “exceeding expectations.”
Wright said Hanley had previously raised questions about whether the administrator position would ultimately need to be revisited.
But when Valanzola asked County Counsel Shannon Resnick whether commissioners were required to conduct a full search, she said Heffernan would need a formal appointment to become administrator but left the method of filling the position to the commissioners.
“What that process looks like is up to you all,” Resnick said.
Wright and Hanley voted 2-1, over Valanzola’s opposition, to advertise the position at $100,000 to $124,000, commensurate with experience.
Even then, Wright suggested the county might ultimately need to pay more.
“We have no idea who is going to apply,” Wright said. “We don’t know what their experience is going to be. But I look at the community and I say we are way under the price range of what we’re looking for.”
The disagreement continued over who would screen applicants. Wright proposed Hanley, Register of Deeds John Buckley and Deputy Treasurer Jeff Welch.
Valanzola questioned why Basler, the outgoing administrator, was not included. Wright said Basler already had a significant workload as he prepared to retire.
Wright and Hanley again prevailed, 2-1.
“Jared Valanzola is the biggest thorn in my side,” Wright told South Shore Times. “He’s ruining me.”
Thirty-Eight Applicants
Deputy Treasurer Welch told South Shore Times that 38 people applied for the job. Twenty-one resumes came through ZipRecruiter. Welch said he did not know how the resumes for the remaining candidates reached the committee.
From that pool, Welch said three clear frontrunners emerged based on their applications: Heffernan, Sullivan and Clarkson. All three were forwarded to the commissioners for public interviews.
Clarkson was already well known to at least one member of the screening committee. Buckley had worked with him during Clarkson’s previous tenure as county administrator, when Buckley served as county treasurer.
“Troy had been the county administrator while I was Treasurer. He’s a good friend, and I’ve known him for years,” Buckley told South Shore Times. “He was an obvious choice to be put forward to be considered by the commissioners.”
Basler, meanwhile, remained outside the screening process. Asked whether he found the sitting administrator’s absence unusual, Buckley said he did not know why the committee had been structured that way.
“I was never part of that. Not my job,” Buckley said.
Wright said her reservations about Heffernan existed before the interviews.
“I said from the beginning that I was not in favor of Chris because he wasn’t experienced enough,” she said.
Her support ultimately shifted from Sullivan to Clarkson, giving him the two votes he needed.
The Price of the Hire
Salary became an issue during the public interviews.
Valanzola noted that Bristol County’s administrator, overseeing what he described as a larger staff and budget as well as an agricultural school, earned $110,000. He asked Clarkson what he believed the Plymouth County job should pay.
Clarkson acknowledged that his current compensation was “significantly more than what was advertised,” but argued that commissioners were seeking someone with the experience and relationships to expand the county’s role.
“I think to have someone with the experience to be able to do that, it warrants compensation,” Clarkson said. “What that number is, should I be appointed? Hopefully we can have negotiations on that.”
Those negotiations produced a salary of $185,000, $61,000 above the top of the posted range.
County Treasurer Tom O’Brien said the administrator historically had been paid comparably to the assistant register of deeds and assistant treasurer, and the advertised range reflected that history.
“I think the expectation from everyone was that it would be filled in that range,” O’Brien told South Shore Times. He said candidates were willing to accept the job at the advertised salary.
Wright said she did not believe approximately $125,000 would attract the level of experience she wanted.
“We need someone in that seat who can perform and take county government to the next level,” Wright said. “I couldn’t see someone coming in at that level for $125K.”
But paying Clarkson $185,000 meant finding room elsewhere in the budget.
“Troy asked for a lot,” Wright said. “We knew if we were going to go this route, we would have to eliminate a position. He knew he wouldn’t have an assistant.”
Ultimately, commissioners eliminated two.
From Three to One
At the Aug. 12 meeting, Resnick said the county would eliminate Heffernan’s administrator-in-training position and the assistant county administrator position held by Theresa Vernazzaro. The alternative was to seek additional funding from the Plymouth County Advisory Board.
The move dismantled a staffing structure commissioners had approved less than a year earlier and recently said the county needed.
“We voted to create the assistant administrator position a year ago because our current administrator was overwhelmed with the work,” Wright told South Shore Times.
As recently as May, commissioners were publicly discussing work being performed by both employees. Hanley praised a presentation by Heffernan and suggested additional municipal outreach for Heffernan and Vernazzaro, who was also pursuing grant opportunities for the county.
Wright said county counsel advised commissioners that they could eliminate the positions without returning to the Advisory Board.
“I was advised by the attorney that since we were not taking money from somewhere else, we didn’t have to go to the advisory board,” Wright said. “I just did what the attorney said.”
Wright also said O’Brien agreed that a position would have to be eliminated. O’Brien disputed that characterization, saying he opposed paying above the advertised salary and repeatedly recommended bringing the funding question to the Advisory Board.
“I never once suggested that that was the only thing that they could do,” O’Brien said.
Clarkson said he is confident the county can operate with the smaller staff.
“There were two assistants: an assistant administrator and an administrator in training. Now, instead of three positions, there'll be one,” Clarkson said. “So, the net cost to the county will be less. I know it can be done.”
During his interview in front of commissioners, Clarkson had reflected on one of the more difficult responsibilities he had faced as a manager.
“One of the toughest things I’ve ever done, and I’ve had to do it many times unfortunately, is tell someone they don’t have a job anymore,” Clarkson said.
Weeks later, Heffernan and Vernazzaro lost their positions as part of the plan to accommodate his hiring.
A Contract Without Precedent
The final deal went beyond salary.
“Something like this has never been done before,” O’Brien told South Shore Times.
To his knowledge, O’Brien said, Plymouth County had never offered a contract to a non-union county employee. In his 20 years with the county, he said he also had never seen an employee hired at a salary higher than the one advertised.
The fully executed agreement obtained by South Shore Times begins Sept. 7 and runs through June 30, 2029. It bears the signatures of Clarkson, Wright and Hanley. Valanzola’s signature line is blank.
Clarkson will receive a $185,000 base salary, health insurance, three weeks of annual vacation and sick leave. It also permits Clarkson to pursue outside employment. Currently, his outside employment includes an arbitration business, Clarkson Consulting, and teaching roles at two colleges. Clarkson may work remotely with permission from the commission chair.
The agreement also gives Clarkson significant protections from termination.
Removing him for “Just Cause” requires a unanimous vote of the full Board of Commissioners. Except in circumstances that cannot be remedied, he must first receive detailed written notice and generally has 30 days to correct the alleged problem. He is also entitled to a closed-session hearing before the full commission.
Contract disputes, including disagreements over whether a termination was for just cause, are subject to binding arbitration. An arbitrator may order reinstatement, back pay and compensatory damages.
The agreement calls for annual reviews of Clarkson’s salary and benefits but specifies that adjustments after June 30, 2027, require approval from the Plymouth County Advisory Board.
“I wouldn’t have to deal with this mess”
Wright places some of the blame for the controversy on the officials who developed the previous succession plan. Specifically, she pointed to O’Brien and Valanzola.
“I feel very bad about this,” Wright said. “If the committee last year, which consisted of Jared, Tom and Frank, had done a good job in the first place, I wouldn’t have to deal with this mess.”
“They piled all of this [crap] on my lap,” she continued. “They created two positions when we only voted for one. Here I am today looking for a new administrator because the one they brought in was unqualified.”
The public record, however, shows Wright and Hanley ultimately voted to fund and fill both positions.
The county initially budgeted for an assistant administrator who could work alongside Basler and potentially succeed him. During the hiring process, officials instead proposed Vernazzaro as assistant administrator and Heffernan as a temporary administrator in training.
On Oct. 23, 2025, commissioners considered a supplemental appropriation that included $25,000 for the administrator-in-training position. Wright voted yes. Hanley initially voted present, citing concerns about the process.
The measure then went to the Advisory Board. After it approved the funding, Hanley moved to reconsider his earlier vote so the commissioners’ approval would be unanimous. Wright again voted yes.
Commissioners then approved the hires themselves. Wright moved to approve Vernazzaro, with Hanley seconding. Hanley moved to hire Heffernan as temporary full-time administrator in training, with Wright seconding. Both votes were unanimous.
Valanzola said that history does not square with Wright’s current criticism.
“If we did it wrong the first time, she should have voted against it the first time,” Valanzola told South Shore Times.
Less than a year later, Wright would describe Heffernan as unqualified and join Hanley in eliminating both positions to accommodate Clarkson’s hiring.
Relationships That Predate the Search
Clarkson’s connections to the commissioners who ultimately selected him also predate the 2026 hiring process.
In September 2017, when Clarkson’s future as Hanover town manager was being debated, Hanley publicly urged the Hanover Board of Selectmen to keep him. Meeting minutes state that “Mr. Hanley stated that when you come across a person like Mr. Clarkson you want to keep him.” Hanley then asked the board to “please not let Mr. Clarkson leave the Town.”
Wright’s political history with Clarkson reaches further back.
According to reporting by Boston.com, Wright won a seat on the Bridgewater Town Council in a 2012 recall election that grew from a prolonged political dispute involving Clarkson, then Bridgewater’s town manager.
Wright defeated Councilor Michael Demos, one of two councilors targeted by a citizens group that viewed Demos and another councilor as leaders in a power struggle with Clarkson. Clarkson had already left Bridgewater by the time of the election, and the reporting does not indicate that he supported Wright’s campaign.
Fourteen years later, Wright would introduce Clarkson at the April county commission meeting as “a very good friend of mine for many, many years, as he is friends of most of us.”
Clarkson also has a family connection to Massachusetts politics. He is married to Barnstable County Sheriff Donna D. Buckley, a Democrat who won election in 2022 with backing from prominent Massachusetts Democrats including then-Attorney General Maura Healey, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, U.S. Rep. Bill Keating and several Cape Cod state lawmakers.
Before running for sheriff, Buckley served as general counsel to the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office under Republican Sheriff James Cummings.
Back Where It Started
For Hughes, the controversy brought the story back to the question that prompted Clarkson’s April appearance in the first place: what communities receive in return for supporting Plymouth County government.
Hughes, who is also an alternate member of the Plymouth County Advisory Board, said concerns about transparency and tangible results had led her to question why communities facing tight local budgets should continue paying for another layer of government.
After Clarkson’s April presentation, Wright had suggested bringing him further into county affairs, including potentially inviting him into the budget process as another “set of eyes.”
Four months later, Hughes said the circumstances surrounding his hiring reinforced her concerns.
“This type of thing is exactly why I wanted to put a spotlight on them,” Hughes told South Shore Times. “I've always had an issue with just the politics of it.”
She was particularly troubled that commissioners did not return to the Advisory Board before eliminating two positions for which the county had sought funding the previous year.
“I'm just appalled that they're doing all of this without bringing it to the advisory board,” Hughes said. “To fire two people to make room for this, I think is the most egregious piece.”
“It’s one thing to go way above the salary after, in a public meeting, they said they were going to stay within range,” she continued. “Then you come back and you go way above, and to do it you cut these two positions that just last year you told the advisory board you needed?”
Clarkson Looks Ahead
Clarkson acknowledges that he will enter a county government divided over the circumstances of his hiring.
“I understand that as appointed officials, we operate in a political environment,” Clarkson told the South Shore Times. “I think as someone who got involved in government before social media, I can remember a time where the discussion in general was much more civil.”
Valanzola remains opposed to the deal. Wright and Hanley defend their decision as one that brought the county a more experienced administrator, albeit at a substantially higher salary. The two positions created under the previous succession plan are disappearing, while Clarkson begins a three-year contract with the same commission that split over hiring him.
Clarkson said he intends to work with all three.
“I look forward to working with all of the commissioners,” he said. “I think I've been able to forge and maintain relationships in my time in public service.”
“And I think there's a lot more, to quote a former president, that unites us than divides us,” Clarkson continued. “So, I think I'm going to work hard to find ways that we can work together.”