NAHANT — The Board of Selectmen appointed Gerry Perry, of Swampscott, as interim town administrator Thursday night, filling the position formerly held by Jeffrey Chelgren.
Perry, who grew up in Nahant and has served on the town’s police department, said he was happy to serve in a town that means so much to him.
“I have to say it is truly an honor and a privilege,” he said. “I have a soft spot for the town of Nahant.
“One of my basic goals is to do as much as I can to provide stability during this transition phase. I am looking forward to working with the board to find the next permanent town administrator which the taxpayers and the citizens of the town deserve.”
Selectman Enzo Barile said that Perry’s experience as deputy commissioner of the state Department of Revenue will be valuable while the town searches for a new town administrator.
“He has quite a bit of knowledge about the budget,” he said. “We’re very fortunate to have him.”
“You’ve done extremely well,” selectman Richard Lombard said. “You’re a very welcome asset to the town.”
In his first meeting, Perry expressed concerns about the budget, which he believes will balance this year, but may have trouble in the next few years.
“I’m sorry to bring this up on my first night,” he said. “But I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t bring this up going forward.”
“I do not believe this is an expenditure problem. I believe the problem is on the revenue side.”
Perry listed a relatively low tax base as one of the factors contributing to the revenue problems and says that there may be some tough conversations going forward in future meetings concerning the budget.
“You are very fortunate, there’s a lot of talent in this community and the staff are good,” Perry said. “I’m pretty confident we will get through some of these financial challenges we are facing.”
