Selectmen give town administrator good report card.

Byline: Craig S. Semon

STURBRIDGE - What a difference a year makes.

Last year, Town Administrator James J. Malloy got his worst performance evaluation in 14 years.

With 20 "excellents," 24 "goods," six "acceptables," two "poors" and two "unacceptables" this year, Mr. Malloy didn't get his best job review ever but he certainly did get a considerably better one than the year before.

Then again, after last year's performance evaluation - four "unacceptables," 15 "poors," eight "acceptables," 20 "goods" and eight "excellents" - it couldn't get much worse.

This time around, the Board of Selectmen has two new members, Scott A. Garieri and Mary Blanchard, who gave Mr. Malloy stellar reviews. Two selectmen, Steven G. Halterman and Edward P. Goodwin, who evaluated Mr. Malloy poorly last year, evaluated him favorably this year.

After the Worcester district attorney's office ruled that selectmen violated the state Open Meeting Law last year in the evaluation process, significant portions of the town administrator's performance review, which selectmen had considered private, were made public.

Last night, this year's job review was discussed in open session and copies were available to anyone who asked.

Selectman Harold J. White is the only selectman to give Mr. Malloy a negative job review this year.

Mr. White gave Mr. Malloy the same job rating as last year - two "unacceptables," two "poors," two "acceptables" and five "goods."

"Since there were no changes in his behaviors/performance, there are no changes from 2007 in my 2008 performance evaluation of the town administrator," Mr. White said on the cover sheet attached to the performance review.

Mr. Garieri gave Mr. Malloy eight "excellents" and three "goods," while Ms. Blanchard gave him four "excellents" and six "goods" and left one category blank.

Mr. Halterman, who gave Mr. Malloy two "poors," two "acceptables," five "goods," and two "excellents" last year, gave him five "excellents," five "goods" and one "acceptable" this year.

Not only did Mr. Goodwin give Mr. Malloy his worst rating last year - one "unacceptable," nine "poors," and one "acceptable" - he also gave the town administrator his worst rating ever.

This year, however, Mr. Goodwin gave him three "excellents," five "goods" and three "acceptables."

Last year, Mr. Malloy, who is one of three candidates for town manager in Westboro, was vehemently chastised by several board members for having a difference of opinion on the size of the wastewater treatment plant, for not taking action against a resident's controversial blog and for not diffusing a heated verbal exchange between two public officials, all matters that Mr. Malloy argued had nothing to do with his evaluation.

"I appreciate the effort that some of the board members put into their constructive comments," Mr. Malloy said yesterday.

NAME: STURBRIDGE SELECTMEN