The Town of Franklin is Looking to hire a Deputy Town Administrator

The Town of Franklin is seeking an experienced and collaborative leader to join our team as Deputy Town Administrator.

This executive leadership role works closely with the Town Administrator to support municipal operations, lead strategic initiatives and special projects, and collaborate with department leaders to advance the Town's priorities and deliver exceptional public service.

💼 Salary: $170,000–$200,000, commensurate with experience

📅 Priority application deadline: July 17, 2026 

Learn more about the position and apply at: https://buff.ly/uBQvoy6

FY 2027 Budget Narrative: Human Resources section

From the Town Administrator's FY 2027 Budget narrative, each department's story is worth sharing. 

General Purpose

We are partners in building the Town of Franklin by aligning the skills and assignments of our employees with Town initiatives, values, strategies and the needs of all our citizens. We serve as a source of information and expertise that provides quality customer service for employees and citizens and their ever changing needs. We help make Franklin a great place to work and live - professionally and personally.

Core Functions

● Recruitment and Staffing

○ Work with departments to create job descriptions and job postings

○ Attract, screen, and hire qualified candidates for open positions

○ Onboarding / Offboarding employees

● Employee Relations

○ Advises leadership on workplace policies, disciplinary actions, performance management, and compliance with municipal and state employment laws

○ Investigates employee complaints and concerns, resolving conflicts fairly and effectively while maintaining confidentiality

● Labor Relations

○ Work closely with the Town Administrator and applicable Department Heads to negotiate and maintain collective bargaining agreements for seven (7) municipal unions

○ Advise leadership on employee relations issues, including grievance resolution, disciplinary actions and conflict mitigation

○ Serve as liaison between management and unions, facilitating communication and fostering positive workplace relations

● Compensation and Benefits

○ Oversees benefits for all Town and School active employees and retirees

○ Manage open enrollment processes for health, dental, and other employee benefits, ensuring all staff are properly enrolled and informed of plan options

○ Provide informal benefit counseling to employees and retirees, answering questions about coverage, eligibility, and claims procedures

○ Maintain accurate benefits records and coordinates with carriers to resolve enrollment errors, billing discrepancies, and coverage changes

○ Analyze benefits utilization and costs, recommending program enhancements to optimize employee satisfaction and budget efficiency

○ Serve as liaisons with the Norfolk County Retirement System, guiding employees through retirement planning, benefits enrollment, and pension eligibility processes

○ Conduct salary benchmarking and non-union compensation planning

● Safety

○ Support and coordinate health and safety programs with other departments, helping ensure compliance with the Department of Labor Standards (DLS) regulations and municipal policies

○ Encourage and support employee training efforts and foster a safe work environment

○ The HR Director serves as the co-chair of the Town’s Safety Committee.

● HR Information Systems (HRIS) and Records Management

○ Maintain employee records and data securely

○ Streamline HR processes through automation across departments

○ Leverage HR technology for reporting and analytics

 

Staffing

● One (1) Director

● One (1) Deputy Director

● One (1) Benefits Coordinator

Strategic Initiatives & Accomplishments

The Human Resources Department will continue to build upon progress made in FY25 and FY26, with a focus on maintaining core services while advancing key operational improvements in FY27.

Recruitment and Workforce Support

The department remains actively involved in recruitment across all departments, supporting hiring processes, onboarding and workforce planning efforts. Recruitment activity continues to require significant staff time; particularly in a competitive labor market

Workload and Service Demand / Administrative Support Capacity

The Human Resources Department continues to experience high demand across all service areas, including recruitment, employee relations, compliance and benefits administration.

While the department remains committed to providing high-quality service, current staffing levels limit the ability to expand initiative or significantly reduce processing times.

As identified in FY26, the absence of an administrative support position continued to impact the department’s ability to efficiently manage daily operations, including front-line customer service, document processing, and coordination of routine tasks.

We have been lucky to have several wonderful Senior and Veterans Tax Program Workers help out in our office. They have been instrumental in helping us in an administrative capacity.

Labor Relations

The Human Resources Department continues to support the administration and implementation of collective bargaining agreements negotiated for FY 26-28. Ongoing coordination with the Town Administrator, Department Heads and Comptroller’s Office and union representatives will be required to ensure consistent interpretation and application of contract provisions.

 

Benefits Administration & Customer Service

Following the transition to a new Benefits Coordinator in FY24, the department has continued to provide robust customer service and communications; including ongoing employee outreach and support. The work completed during the FY26 active enrollment/ dependent audit has strengthened the integrity of the Town’s health insurance program and will continue to inform benefits administration practice in FY27.

The Town is in the process of a transition to the Group Insurance Commission in FY27, enhancing the stability and long-term sustainability of employee benefits.

The department administers medical and personal leaves, injuries on duty, and workers’ compensation claims

Unemployment Administration

Unemployment administration requires careful oversight to ensure compliance and to mitigate financial impact to the Town. Each claim involves documentation review, separation analysis, and, when necessary, participation in hearings or appeals. These activities can be time-intensive and often require coordination across multiple departments.

In FY27; the department continues to manage these responsibilities organization-wide while working to ensure consistency in documentation and separation practices across all departments. While claim volume and complexity fluctuate, unemployment administration remains an ongoing operational responsibility that requires dedicated staff time and attention and unemployment costs are directly tied to employment activity and separation outcomes and are not discretionary in nature. As such, the department is focused on appropriate administration and mitigation of financial impact through consistent documentation and process management.

Personnel Records Modernization

The Department will continue its work in digitizing personnel files and transition to electronic records through the Tyler - Content Manager (TCM) system. This process has been supported by the Technology Department and in partnership with Franklin Public Schools. This effort remains a significant step toward improving accessibility, audit readiness and long term records management. While progress has been made; this is an ongoing project that will continue into FY27 as additional files are scanned and processes refined.

 

Technology Investments & Process Improvements

Consistent with FY26 goals, the department will continue to work with the Technology Department to identify opportunities to improve efficiency through system enhancements.

The Department continues to rely on systems that require significant manual effort. While progress has been made through the initial implementation of TCM, additional technology solutions such as applicant tracking, electronic onboarding, and digital forms - would improve efficiency and reduce administrative budget. These investments remain dependent on the Town’s broader financial outlook.

Continued reliance on manual processes and system limitations impacts efficiency and service delivery. In the interim; the department will focus on maximizing the existing system and identify incremental improvement to reduce manual processes across all departments.

FY27 Requested Budget Summary

The FY27 Human Resources budget reflects a continued commitment to supporting the Town’s workforce while navigating operational constraints. The department's focus remains on balancing increasing service demands with limited staffing resources, while advancing key initiatives that strengthen recruitment, retention and employee experience across the organization.

Strategic investments in staffing, technology and employee development will position the organization to better recruit, retain and support employees; ultimately strengthening the service delivery to the community. Future progress in modernization and service delivery will depend on the town’s ability to address staffing and technology needs in upcoming fiscal years. With increasing service demands and limited administrative capacity, the department will prioritize process improvements and system optimization.

The main focus this fiscal year will be transitioning employee health insurance and taking on the school related benefits. As we have hoped for many years, we hope to modernize the employee onboarding system and invest in greater cloud technology for personnel records. We will also be integral to onboarding and developing the Munis Administrator if approved.

The PDF of this section - 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PiEcUilrXFDhGwy-O1kwtg4nhgldmOvw/view?usp=drive_link

For the full FY 2027 budget narrative -  https://www.franklinma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8912/FY27-Budget-Narrative-FINAL-1

The FY 2027 budget information can be found

https://www.franklinma.gov/Archive.aspx?ADID=577

Town of Franklin: Human Resources is looking for candidates for positions in Conservation, Fire Dept, Library, Police Dept, Facilities & DPW

To be considered for an open position, please submit a resume and cover letter in PDF format via email to Human Resources. 

Be sure to include the job title in the subject line of your email to ensure accurate processing. 

If you do not have a resume, you may submit a completed Application for Employment (PDF) as an alternative.

• Director of Conservation - Conservation Department 
• Licensed Plumber  - Facilities Department
• Firefighter / Paramedic - Franklin Fire Department
• Librarian - Youth Services - Franklin Public Library
• Heavy Motor Equipment Operator-  Department of Public Works
• Co-Response Clinician - Police Department
• Custodian (part-time) - Facilities

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/228/Job-Opportunities

Finance Committee closes out FY 2026 budget hearings (video)

The Finance Committee completed the 3rd of the series of budget hearings on the FY 2026 budget Thursday, May 1, 2025. 7 of the 8 members participated, 1 remotely (1 absent).

 

Franklin TV video is available for replay ->  https://www.youtube.com/live/C5g8YGdpTmI?&t=430

 

The agenda and released documents for this session -> https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05012025-1710

Quick recap

• Up for review tonight were the General government departments, many of them much smaller than the Police, FIRE, DPW, and Schools covered previously but all key to Town services. 
• Recreation pays for itself with fee revenue from servicing 7200 kids with 3 full time personnel
• Library just above the minimum required by State legislation not revised since it was enabled over 100 years ago
• Town Clerk's office runs the annual census, dog licenses, registrations, and this year 2 elections; the special override election June 3 and the local election in November (Town Council, School Cmte and other elected positions, including this year the Town Clerk).
• Senior Center has a minimal expense budget most of it is personnel and a good portion of it is covered by fee revenue or grants. Still working on how to fine tune it, won't likely get to the fee supported  status of the Recreation Dept. May 15 ribbon cutting for the van and gazebo at the Senior Center (10 AM)
• Resolutions for approval - all passed by same 7-0-1 (1 absent) roll call vote
• Resolution 25-20: Recommendation of FY2026 Budget
• Resolution 25-21: Salary Schedule: Full-Time Elected Official 
• Resolution 25-22: Expenditure Limits for FY2026 on Departmental Revolving Funds Established by Franklin Town Code Chapter 73, as Provided in MGL Chapter 44, §53E½, as Amended 
• Resolution 25-23: Snow and Ice Transfer of Funds 
• Resolution 25-24: Appropriation and Transfer of Funds from Water Enterprise Fund Retained Earnings to Water Line Project

My notes in one PDF -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LFcbiY2E14_zoCwZHMOjuSOpnIaaUM1J/view?usp=drive_link

 

Finance Committee closes out FY 2026 budget hearings (video)

 

 

Town of Franklin hiring for Assessors, Planning, Public Works, Senior Center, Facilities

Town of Franklin hiring

 

It's time to get Frank(lin) about your future! We've got positions that are civic-minded, community focused and benefits-loaded.

Whether you are looking to build a career, serve your neighbors or make an impact in your community - we have roles that will help you grow, serve and shine.

#PunandPublicService #Franktalk #NowHiring #PublicServicewithPurpose #JoinUs #CareerOpportunity

 

Details on the current positions open can be found ->

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/228/Job-Opportunities

 

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/DICDt1epxrT/?

Town of Franklin: The DPW is looking to hire a Heavy Motor Equipment Operator

DPW, Town of Franklin is looking to hire:

Heavy Motor Equipment Operator

POSITION: Heavy Motor Equipment Operator (HMEO) 

HOURS: Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Summer Hours: 6:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.)

SALARY: $24.78 - $30.49 per hour (plus union contract incentives) 

POSTED: February 6, 2025

Priority Deadline: February 28, 2025 

See full description -> https://www.franklinma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/449/Heavy-Motor-Equipment-Operator---Department-of-Public-Works-PDF

Shared from ->  https://www.franklinma.gov/jobs.aspx?jobID=10

Town of Franklin: The DPW is looking to hire a Heavy Motor Equipment Operator

Job Opportunities with the Town of Franklin Public Works, Human Resources, Fire Dept & Police Dept

Job Opportunities

To apply for a vacant position, please submit a resume and cover letter to apply@franklinma.gov.  Please put the job title in the subject line of your email. 

Heavy Motor Equipment Operator - Department of Public Works

Administrative Assistant (Part Time)- Human Resources

Firefighter/Paramedic - Franklin Fire Department

Patrol Officer (academy trained) - Franklin Police Department

Updated 01/17/2025

If you do not have a resume, you may send a completed Application for Employment instead.

To receive notifications of all job opportunities in the Town of Franklin, subscribe here .

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/human-resources/pages/job-opportunities

Job Opportunities with the Town of Franklin Public Works, Human Resources, Fire Dept & Police Dept

Job Opportunities with the Town of Franklin in Human Resources, Franklin Fire, Public Works, & Franklin Police

To apply for a vacant position, please submit a resume and cover letter to apply@franklinma.gov.  Please put the job title in the subject line of your email. 

Administrative Assistant (Part Time)- Human Resources

Firefighter/Paramedic - Franklin Fire Department

Heavy Motor Equipment Operator - Department of Public Works 

Crew Leader / Lead Pesticide Applicator (Tuesday - Saturday) - Department of Public Works

Patrol Officer (academy trained) - Franklin Police Department

Updated 01/10/2025

If you do not have a resume, you may send a completed Application for Employment instead.

To receive notifications of all job opportunities in the Town of Franklin, subscribe here .

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/human-resources/pages/job-opportunities

Franklin Fire Dept looking to fill 2 Open Firefighter/Paramedic positions

via Franklin Fire Dept:

"2 Open Firefighter/Paramedic positions

2 Open Firefighter/Paramedic positions

The Franklin Fire Department seeks candidates that have a passion in the Fire & Emergency Medical Services field. Candidates must be a certified paramedic in Massachusetts. Additional qualities include being highly motivated, work well with a committed team of professionals, be an integral part of the community you serve, have a desire for continued training and education. The members of the Franklin Fire Department are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of the citizens of Franklin, as well as those who work here, visit and frequent the Town's businesses.

The Department provides a full range of Fire - Rescue Services including Fire Suppression, Paramedic level Emergency Medical Services, Technical Rescue and First Response Hazardous Materials response. We also provide a full range of prevention services to include code compliance, plans review and public education.

No Civil Service Requirement

Apply Now"

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/DDhSHzVJ88r/

Finance Committee gets preview of FY 2025 budget adjustments, Norfolk Retirement issue, Finance & HR reorg for Town/Schools (video)

The Franklin (MA) Finance Committee met as scheduled on Wednesday, Nov 6 with 7 members participating in Council Chambers and 2 members absent (Batchelor, Hamilton)

Franklin TV video available for replay -> https://www.youtube.com/live/ejPhlcZs29g?si=otfRPnwkBa6Yta-B&t=158

The agenda doc ->

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/2024-11-06_finance_committee_agenda_packet.pdf

Quick recap:

• committee voted to keep same org structure as prior given status and new members, etc. Conley, Chair, Riley, Vice-Chair, Corbesierio, Clerk (passed 7-0-2; 2 absent)
• committee approved the minutes for the 3 budget hearings in May (passed 7-0-2; 2 absent)
• Town Administrator Jamie Hellen walked through the recommendation on FY25 Budget Adjustments and the committee voted to recommend them as discussed to the Town Council  (passed 7-0-2; 2 absent)
• Jamie took time to outline the new Town and School Finance and Human Resources organization restructure, a work in progress for a number of years and finally operational, answered a number of clarification questions 
• Jamie also presented the FY24 Preliminary Expense Recap & Local Receipts year-end report  and the Stabilization Account Report and answered a number of clarification questions
• Brief update on the FY26 Budget Model and Fiscal Forecast Update, discussion around dodging a massive increase in the Norfolk County Retirement Fund, procedurally the Retirement Board should have bene more forthcoming about the increase, they weren't, still an item to watch
• Related to the retirement funding, it had been anticipated that once it was fully funded (approx. 2032, now 2035), those funds could be reallocated to the OPEB account and start paying that down more sooner. Confirmed delayed to 2035 currently
• As a result of the OPEB funding process, why doesn't the Town consider helping the Schools with the "hold harmless" funding. Can't be done all at once, it is about 12-15 Million, but the town is chipping away at OPEB, we should consider chipping away at the "hold harmless" too
• member comments lead to discussion (and future discussion) around how the committee can help raise the awareness of the community on the fiscal issues. More to come on that front

My notes captured during the meeting ->   https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nZYVtQx2ljoXcuxpA78ltwoeWgRxKIlB/view?usp=drive_link

Finance Committee gets preview of FY 2025 budget adjustments, Norfolk Retirement issue, Finance & HR reorg for Town/Schools (video)

Town of Franklin: Job Opportunities with Board of Assessors, Public Works, Police Dept & Facilities

Job Opportunities

To apply for a vacant position, please submit a resume and cover letter to apply@franklinma.gov.  Please put the job title in the subject line of your email. 

Appraiser - Board of Assessors 

Heavy Motor Equipment Operator - Department of Public Works 

Crew Leader / Lead Pesticide Applicator (Tuesday - Saturday) - Department of Public Works

Patrol Officer (academy trained) - Franklin Police Department

Part Time and Substitute Custodians - Facilities Department 

Updated 11/4/2024

If you do not have a resume, you may send a completed Application for Employment instead.

To receive notifications of all job opportunities in the Town of Franklin, subscribe here .

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/human-resources/pages/job-opportunities

Town of Franklin: Job Opportunities with Board of Assessors, Public Works, Police Dept & Facilities

Yes, the Town of Franklin has a Job Opportunity in Assessors, Public Works, Police Dept, & Facilities

Job Opportunities

To apply for a vacant position, please submit a resume and cover letter to apply@franklinma.gov.  Please put the job title in the subject line of your email. 

Appraiser - Board of Assessors 

Crew Leader / Lead Pesticide Applicator (Tuesday - Saturday) - Department of Public Works

Administrative Assistant - Department of Public Works

Heavy Motor Equipment Operator (Tuesday - Saturday)  - Department of Public Works 

Patrol Officer (academy trained) - Franklin Police Department

Junior Building Custodian - Facilities Department

Part Time and Substitute Custodians - Facilities Department 

Updated 10/10/2024

If you do not have a resume, you may send a completed Application for Employment instead.

To receive notifications of all job opportunities in the Town of Franklin, subscribe here .

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/human-resources/pages/job-opportunities

Yes, the Town of Franklin has a Job Opportunity in Assessors, Public Works, Police Dept, & Facilities

Town of Franklin: Job Opportunities with Police Dept, Senior Center, Treasurer, DPW, & Facilities

Job Opportunities

To apply for a vacant position, please submit a resume and cover letter to apply@franklinma.gov.  Please put the job title in the subject line of your email. 

Patrol Officer (academy trained) - Franklin Police Department

Part-Time Van Driver (2 positions) - Franklin Senior Center 

Deputy Director - Franklin Senior Center

Treasurer/Collector - Office of the Treasurer/Collector

Mechanic - Department of Public Works 

Heavy Motor Equipment Operator - Department of Public Works

Junior Building Custodian - Facilities Department

Part Time and Substitute Custodians - Facilities Department 

Updated 08/14/2024

If you do not have a resume, you may send a completed Application for Employment instead.

To receive notifications of all job opportunities in the Town of Franklin, subscribe here .

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/human-resources/pages/job-opportunities

Town of Franklin: Job Opportunities with Police Dept, Senior Center, Treasurer, DPW, & Facilities

Franklin, MA: Job Opportunities for Finance, DPW, & Facilities

Job Opportunities

To apply for a vacant position, please submit a resume and cover letter to apply@franklinma.gov.  Please put the job title in the subject line of your email. 

Treasurer/Collector - Office of the Treasurer/Collector

Mechanic - Department of Public Works 

Heavy Motor Equipment Operator - Department of Public Works

Junior Building Custodian - Facilities Department

Part Time and Substitute Custodians - Facilities Department 

Administrative Assistant - Department of Public Works

Updated 07/22/2024

If you do not have a resume, you may send a completed Application for Employment instead.

To receive notifications of all job opportunities in the Town of Franklin, subscribe here .

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/human-resources/pages/job-opportunities

Franklin, MA: Job Opportunities for Finance, DPW, & Facilities

The Town of Franklin is hiring for positions with DPW, Human Resources, Facilities, Senior Center, Library & Fire Dept

Job Opportunities

To apply for a vacant position, please submit a resume and cover letter to apply@franklinma.gov.  Please put the job title in the subject line of your email. 

Administrative Assistant - Department of Public Works

Mechanic - Department of Public Works 

Benefits Coordinator - Human Resources

Heavy Motor Equipment Operator - Department of Public Works

Junior Building Custodian - Facilities Department

Senior Center Director - Franklin Senior Center

Deputy Library Director - Franklin Public Library

Summer Custodians - Facilities Department

Firefighter/Paramedic - Fire Department

Part Time and Substitute Custodians - Facilities Department 

Updated 06/07/2024

If you do not have a resume, you may send a completed Application for Employment instead.

To receive notifications of all job opportunities in the Town of Franklin, subscribe here .

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/human-resources/pages/job-opportunities

The Town of Franklin is hiring for positions with DPW, Human Resources, Facilities, Senior Center, Library & Fire Dept

Town of Franklin: Job Opportunities with DPW, Human Resources, Facilities, Library, & Fire Dept

Job Opportunities

To apply for a vacant position, please submit a resume and cover letter to apply@franklinma.gov.  Please put the job title in the subject line of your email. 

Mechanic - Department of Public Works 

Benefits Coordinator - Human Resources

Heavy Motor Equipment Operator - Department of Public Works

Junior Building Custodian - Facilities Department

Senior Center Director - Franklin Senior Center

Deputy Library Director - Franklin Public Library

Summer Custodians - Facilities Department

Firefighter/Paramedic - Fire Department

Part Time and Substitute Custodians - Facilities Department 

Updated 06/03/2024

If you do not have a resume, you may send a completed Application for Employment instead.

To receive notifications of all job opportunities in the Town of Franklin, subscribe here .

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/human-resources/pages/job-opportunities

Town of Franklin: Job Opportunities with DPW, Human Resources, Facilities, Library, & Fire Dept

Town of Franklin: Job Opportunities in Human Resources, Senior Center, Library. Facilities, Fire Dept, Finance, & DPW

To apply for a vacant position, please submit a resume and cover letter to apply@franklinma.gov.  Please put the job title in the subject line of your email. 

Benefits Coordinator - Human Resources

Senior Center Director - Franklin Senior Center

Deputy Library Director - Franklin Public Library

Junior Building Custodian - Facilities Department 

Summer Custodians - Facilities Department

Heavy Motor Equipment Operator - Department of Public Works

Firefighter/Paramedic - Fire Department

Chief Financial Officer - Finance Department

Budget and Fiscal Analyst - Finance Department

Part Time and Substitute Custodians - Facilities Department 

Updated 05/08/2024

If you do not have a resume, you may send a completed Application for Employment instead.

To receive notifications of all job opportunities in the Town of Franklin, subscribe here .

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/human-resources/pages/job-opportunities

Town of Franklin: Job Opportunities in Human Resources, Senior Center, Library. Facilities, Fire Dept, Finance, & DPW

Franklin Announces DPW Director Cantoreggi Reinstated as of April 11, 2024

On February 15, 2024 the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission announced that Franklin DPW Director, Robert “Brutus” Cantoreggi violated Conflict of Interest Law relative to the unethical acceptance of gifts, G.L. chapter 268A, section 23(b)(2)(i). In the attached Press Release from the State Ethics Commission and the Disposition Agreement between the Ethics Commission and Mr. Cantoreggi, Mr. Cantoreggi admits to the proposed violations and waives his right to a hearing.

On February 9, 2024, when the Town was in receipt of this information, Mr. Cantoreggi was placed on unpaid administrative leave indefinitely and until further notice. Since this time, the Town has been working to gather information in order to fully understand the extent of Mr. Cantoreggi’s actions in his official capacity as Department of Public Works Director.

“While the realization of this ethics violation has been very difficult for Town staff, the Town Council, and the Franklin community at large, this incident was an isolated incident and does not reflect on the entire organization,” stated Jamie Hellen, Franklin Town Administrator. “The Town has independent annual financial town audits in addition to effective standards, training, internal controls and policies in place and a truly remarkable staff culture. These were careless and hubris actions by Mr. Cantoreggi, but do not reflect a widespread problem in the organization.”

The Town has issued a report on the complete findings of its own internal investigation. Notably, and most importantly, zero taxpayers dollars were affected by this violation and succeeding decisions. No bribery allegations, charges, or findings relevant to a quid pro-quo or “something for something” or any other illegal or criminal act were found. There were no procurement violations found.

In addition to a $15,000 fine to the State Ethics Commission and significant damage to Mr. Cantoreggi’s reputation, both personally and professionally, the Town instituted the following corrective measures:

● An unpaid suspension for two months; a wage loss of $29,935, or $44,935 in total, when accounting for the civil penalty from the state;

● A six (6) day redaction of employee Earned Time (aka “ET” which is equivalent to vacation time) for time off during the two ski trips as they were not work related;

● No accrued additional Earned Time during the time of the two-month suspension, which is lost time for a total of approximately 11.3 days (91 hours);

● One-year prohibition on attendance at industry sponsored events and conferences in an effort to focus on DPW staff needs and succession planning;

● Execution of a “Last Chance” Agreement for any unknown past and future incidents;

● Release and waiver of all legal and privacy rights;

● Public apology acknowledging impacts on the organization and community; and

● Repeating his state mandated Ethics Training and documenting the receipt and review of the Conflict of Interest Law Summary.

Based on the facts of the Ethics Investigation, as well as additional supporting factors and materials that have been laid out, the Town Administrator has decided to reinstate Robert “Brutus” Cantoreggi as the DPW Director, effective Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 7:00 AM.

“I deeply apologize to all of the residents of Franklin for making such a poor decision without truly thinking through the ramifications of it,” said Robert “Brutus” Cantoreggi. “I am very regretful of the unintended consequences my poor judgment has had on the Town, my staff, my colleagues and my family. I have committed my professional career to the Town of Franklin and truly love my job. Over the past eight weeks, I have used this time to reflect and it has reaffirmed how much I value my role as the Public Works Director for the Town of Franklin. It has not been easy being under the scrutiny of false accusations by some, but I have also been humbled by the amount of support I have received by so many others. I will never be able to express my deep gratitude to the members of the community, the Council, and Town Administrator for their time working on this ordeal. Going forward, I will recommit myself to working to be the best Public Works director, colleague, friend, husband and father. I know we have all made mistakes in life, and I can unequivocally say that I have learned huge lessons from this. I am so grateful for the second chance, I will not let you down, and I pledge to do everything in my power to earn back the public's trust.”

The Town Council received a briefing from the Town Administration on March 13, 2024 in Executive Session. In an effort to be transparent and proactive with the public, these materials have been posted on a dedicated webpage.

“Mr. Cantoreggi’s actions are extremely disappointing, and as the DPW Director he should have known that his acceptance of these gifts violated the Conflict of Interest Law,” stated Tom Mercer, Chair of the Franklin Town Council. “These proscribed actions not only reflect poorly on

 

Mr. Cantoreggi personally but also on the Town of Franklin. While significant reputational damage has been done, I feel the prescribed disciplinary action is on par with the misconduct. As a lifelong Franklin resident and one who values his expertise, he has earned a second chance in my book due to his dedicated and innovative leadership over two decades. While we may individually have our own views on the matter, the entire Town Council has agreed to move forward together. ”

“It is vital that Franklin residents have the utmost trust and confidence in the integrity of their government,” stated Hellen. “With this information I acknowledge a violation of the public’s trust and confidence. I will work with Mr. Cantoreggi to build back public trust and confidence moving forward. Mr. Cantoreggi is remorseful for his lapse in judgment, and I believe if there is anyone who can restore both his own reputation and the reputation of the Town, it is Brutus.”

Town Administrator website with all materials ->

https://www.franklinma.gov/administrator/pages/special-presentations

Franklin Announces DPW Director Cantoreggi Reinstated as of April 11, 2024