By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD – On the heels of a new three-year contract that will keep him in the corner office at Town Hall until 2026, Town Administrator Stephen P. Maio received high marks from the Town Council last night for his performance in all areas of his job description.
Councilor Jonathan Chines explained that the seven Town Councilors had met individually with Maio and each had then completed his own evaluation form. Chines said that the forms were then compiled into one performance review summary, which was discussed at last night’s meeting. Overall, the Town Council concluded that Maio “exceeds expectations” in the performances of his duties as Town Administrator.
Breaking down the review by performance categories, Chines began with “Fiscal Management.”
The Town Councilors agreed that this has been one of Maio’s strongest areas, concluding that his performance in handling the town’s finances “greatly exceeds expectations.” They attributed the town’s top notch AAA bond rating to Maio’s stewardship and cited budget transparency, discipline and strong financial controls that Maio applies managing the town’s funds.
The Council agreed that Maio was meeting expectations in the area of “Human Resources Management.” They cited the strong leadership team that Maio has assembled and the fact that he has instilled a positive culture at Town Hall. They pointed to the importance of his work in bringing consistency across different union contract settlements.
Cited as areas for improvement were town employee job descriptions and evaluations and continuing to bring “diversity, equity and inclusion” in personnel management decisions.
In the area of “Communications Management,” the Town Council agreed that Maio “exceeds expectations.” They cited the town’s growing presence on social media as well as Maio’s willingness to promote the town at any opportunity. He was also praised for his responsiveness to the board and to the public.
STEPHEN P. MAIO
Under “Operations Management,” the board also felt that Maio had “exceeded expectations.” They cited the uninterrupted town services during the pandemic as well as the high level of emergency management services maintained by the town.
They also agreed that he exceeds expectations in the area of “Ethical Standards,” highlighting the online ethics training process for town employees.
Overall, the board concluded that Maio exceeds expectations in his job.
“Steve, you are one of the best,” Chines said, again praising Maio’s fiscal management as a hallmark of his work.
Councilor Edward Dombroski agreed.
“So many other communities would love to have this kind of evaluation for their leader,” he said. “You are the best at what you do,” he told Maio, noting that leaders in other communities seek Maio out for advice and counsel. “You are the dean of local town administration.”
Maio thanked the board and credited the hard work of those around him.
“I have a fabulous team,” he said.
