Whritenour hired as Yarmouth town administrator

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Longtime Oak Bluffs town administrator Robert Whritenour is heading to Yarmouth as their new town administrator. — Isabel Gitten

Updated 12:10 pm

The Yarmouth board of selectmen hired Robert Whritenour as their new town administrator.

Whritenour, who lives in Falmouth, was hired as the Oak Bluffs interim town administrator in 2011 before being appointed as town administrator in February 2012. He is credited with overseeing the town’s emergence from a $1 million deficit, and is now in the fifth year of a five-year contract he signed with the town in April 2016. According to the town’s fiscal year 2021 budget, Whritenour’s salary is $158,939.

In 2019, Whritenour was a finalist for the town administrator position in Bourne, but was not chosen.

According to outgoing Yarmouth town administrator Daniel Knapik, Whritenour’s new salary will be negotiated with a subcommittee consisting of Yarmouth selectmen Erik Tolley and Mike Stone.

Whritenour has extensive experience in municipal government. Before his time in Oak Bluffs, he was town manager of Falmouth and town administrator of Mashpee, as well as town manager of Greenbush, Maine. Whritenour has lived on Cape Cod since 1992.

In a statement Wednesday, selectman chairman Jason Balboni praised Whritenour’s work with the town.

“Bob has made a great and consistent contribution to our town, and he will be sorely missed,” Balboni said. “We’ll be working over the next several weeks to complete our transition plan together with Bob, so that we can ensure that we will be able to move forward with all of the progress we have made.”

In the same statement, Whritenour stated it would be difficult to leave Oak Bluffs: “I love this town very much, and this has been the most enjoyable job I’ve ever had. We have made so much positive progress, and I have been so blessed to work with great selectmen, caring and committed department heads and staff, and very caring town residents. I’ve never been more comfortable in a close-knit and supportive professional environment. It is difficult commuting every day on the boat, and I think my family may appreciate having me closer by to assist in all the daily details of our lives.”

The statement also says Whritenour’s new position is under negotiation, leaving more time to work out a transition with Oak Bluffs. He expects to remain in Oak Bluffs for two months.

Updated with comments from Whritenour and Balboni.