Paxton Select Board Ratifies Town Administrator Contract in Unanimous Vote

PAXTON — February 9, 2026 — Paxton Select Board ratifies town administrator contract and defers capital bylaw overhaul to fall special town meeting. The board voted 5-0 on February 9 to ratify a contract for Town Administrator Robert Birkbeck, appointing him permanently through June 30, 2027, at approximately $118,000 — the amount currently appropriated in the town budget — bypassing a formal search process after town counsel confirmed the appointment was legally sound. Vice Chair Julia Cosentino cited improved staff morale and institutional continuity as outweighing the cost and risk of an open search, saying she had heard the phrase "breath of fresh air" used repeatedly by employees. The board also tabled proposed Capital Improvement Planning Committee bylaw revisions until a fall 2026 special town meeting, with members agreeing the update needs to incorporate long-term capital planning language and a refreshed asset inventory — last produced by the Collins Center in 2019 — before advancing. Earlier in the evening, Paxton Municipal Light Department representative Tara Rondo announced a $1.18 million Massachusetts Clean Energy Center grant to replace the substation's 53-year-old transformer, with the town's share of project costs running approximately $800,000.