WESTMINSTER — Westminster town government has passed to a new generation - literally.
Matthew Daskal, 23, was hired last week as the new Town Manager, succeeding Sonia Alexander, who officially retires on Thursday.
Daskal signed a contract with the town through June 30, 2013 and will receive an annual base salary of $55,000. He is one of the youngest town managers serving in Vermont.
To ease the transition, Alexander has offered to stay on until July 18.
“He's a very intelligent and bright young man,” Selectboard member Toby Young said. “He's extremely enthusiastic. He stood out from all the rest [of the candidates].”
“He's shown a lot of initiative,” said Alexander, who has more than 30 years of experience in municipal management in Vermont.
An example of Daskal's initiative came earlier this year. Before he knew about the Town Manager job, he drove up to attend the annual Town Meeting.
Daskal explained that municipal government in Connecticut is run slightly differently, and that he was interested in seeing how Town Meeting worked in Vermont, when he discovered that Westminster was looking for a new Town Manager.
“We don't have that style of government in Connecticut,” he said. “I wanted to become more familiar with it, and see what form it took in Westminster.”
Daskal said he found town residents “very civil and committed” to their local government, making him want the job all the more.
Alexander said she didn't know who he was at the time, or that he was interested in the job. She got to talking with him after the meeting, and then told him that she had to leave to help with the Rotary spaghetti dinner.
“He said he'd love to continue the conversation, and could he tag along and help,” she said. “We always need extra hands, so I said 'sure.'
“He ended up staying until the end of the evening - filling plates, serving, clearing, and washing dishes.”
Alexander said she was impressed.
The Selectboard was too, citing his enthusiasm and commitment to community service.
From middle school onward, Daskal has been involved in local government in Wethersfield, Conn. He served on the Youth Advisory Board through high school, ending up as co-chair.
He did his undergraduate work at Connecticut College, where he majored in history and sociology, and received a certificate in community action.
He went on to earn a master's degree in public administration from Syracuse University and while there, he became certified as an emergency medical technician.
More recently, he has been working on special projects for the Town Manager's office in Plainville, Conn. and for the Capitol Region Council of Governments.
Daskal said that Westminster's small size provides a unique opportunity to be engaged in local government. He called his new job an “excellent opportunity” and said he is eager to serve the community.
“My door is always open to the suggestions and concerns” of both employees and residents, he said, adding, “I'm here to learn.”
Daskal noted that Westminster has weathered the economic slump “better than most towns, and I plan to maintain the current level of services, their quality and quantity.”
At the same time, “I would be remiss if I wasn't cognizant and aware” of the economic problems that towns all over the country have been having with regard to keeping their infrastructures intact, he said.
“I will be focusing on capital improvements of [town] facilities, roadways, and machinery,” he added.
There's always a cost concern, he acknowledged, and he said he will keep a sharp eye on that.
Daskal said that he was aware of recent projects, such as the planned changes to Westminster Meats, the slaughterhouse that recently received a development grant to refit a former seafood processing plant to a local meat processing plant. The plant will serve local farmers who would otherwise have to truck their animals to New York State to be processed.
Daskal said that his involvement at the Rotary dinner is not unusual for him, and that he is “here to help and take every opportunity, in whatever capacity, to serve the community.”
He said that he would be looking into how being a certified EMT would fit into his life in Westminster.
“He's shown initiative and a unique interest in the community,” Alexander said. “He'll do fine.”
The Selectboard sought Alexander's help to guide her successor through his first budget season. That decision was made before Daskal was hired.
“I said I would be there to guide him through,” said Alexander. “It can be complicated.”
After she takes the reins as president of the Rotary, Alexander will serve as a consultant to the town from September to February.