Oak Bluffs selectmen began their regular meeting Tuesday night with a moment of silence for town accountant Arthur Gallagher, who died unexpectedly on Monday from complications from surgery.
“He was brought in under a lot of pressure, when town finances were in very bad shape,” selectman Mike Santoro said. “I never heard him complain. He did an incredible job. It’s a great loss to our town, and more important, it’s a great loss to his wife and family.”
“He’s one of the most patient people I’ve ever known,” chairman Gail Barmakian said.
“Arthur Gallagher was a part of what’s going good for Oak Bluffs,” town administrator Robert Whritenour said. “This town owes him a big debt of gratitude.”
Mr. Gallagher’s death comes a few weeks before the end of the 2016 fiscal year on June 30, a critical time for town finances. Mr. Whritenour told selectmen that he had earlier engaged the services of Yarmouth town accountant Richard Bienvenue, CPA, to cover for Mr. Gallagher during his anticipated recuperation.
Mr. Bienvenue applied for the job of town accountant in 2012; he was the runner-up to Mr. Gallagher.
Mr. Whritenour said he’d spoken to Mr. Bienvenue earlier in the day and that Mr. Bienvenue had offered to stay on and work for the town two days a week until the beginning of September, for $1,200 a week. Mr. Whritenour said transfers from the FY17 town accountant budget and from the general fund would cover the cost. The majority of selectmen, citing the urgency and timing, as well as the need for an experienced hand of the financial tiller, enthusiastically voted 4 – 1 to endorse the deal.
Chairman Gail Barmakian was the dissenting vote. Ms. Barmakian questioned the overall cost of the deal and suggested a search for an Island accountant. She also said the deal had open-ended liabilities.
“What is bothersome to me is that he wants freedom to hire his assistant in Yarmouth at $80 an hour,” she said. “I would like to ask him to lower his price and specify a certain amount of hours for that assistant.”
Mr. Whritenour agreed to attempt to negotiate a lower price before closing the deal with Mr. Bienvenue.
