WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington Apple recently caught up with Wilmington Finance Director Bryan Perry, who was appointed back in May and started on June 24.
Below is part two of a two-part interview. (Read part one HERE.)
Question #1: Will you be making any changes to the Town’s Finance Department that will be noticeable to the public?
Perry: “Nothing is done in secret here, but municipal finance isn’t a very interesting subject to many people. As a result, a lot of the work is done outside of the spotlight. My predecessor, Town Accountant Mike Morris, left everything in good shape. You want to keep the wheels turning and the machine operating smoothly. I want to continue the progress we’ve made and that everything is continued to be done properly while improving the lives of everyone in town.”
Question #2: How would you describe Wilmington’s finances? Is there anything that keeps you up at night?
Perry: “Wilmington is in very good shape financially. Wilmington has been responsible in trying to provide for future liabilities and obligations for retirees, along with health insurance both for current employees and future retirees. Wilmington has done a good job of trying to “plug the dam” — OPEB (other post employment benefits) and pension obligations keep growing – and get ahead of the curve. Wilmington’s free cash amount will speak to capital projects down the road. Figuring out what those are and how to prioritize them is the challenge.”
Question #3: What do you say to those who feel the town isn’t doing enough to take care of its OPEB and pension liabilities?
Perry: “Wilmington is taking steps to put themselves in a better position. It’s a challenge that’s not unique to Wilmington. It’s consistent across all 351 communities. The bill isn’t due tomorrow or next week. You’re trying, as best you can, to quantify future healthcare benefits. Public sector or private sector — the cost of healthcare isn’t going down. It continues to go up. It’s a challenge to get a hold of that. Wilmington has and continues to take steps in the right direction to position themselves better in the future.
“The other challenge is you have other obligations you have to fund in the current and near future. When you have buildings that need to be built and maintained — school projects — it can be a tough sell to have to tell people we need to set aside money for future retiree health insurance. It’s a balance that you need to strike.”
Question #4: Why is there a struggle in Massachusetts to find qualified candidates for municipal finance positions like yours? (They had to repost your position after initially only attracting 9 applicants.)
Perry: “The vast majority of college grads going into the workforce look to work in private industry. I don’t want to say it’s more lucrative to work in the private sector, but there’s certainly an appeal to it. There’s a lot that working for a municipal offers, however. Sometimes it does take a while for people see that appeal. It’s generally not a job you get trained for in college. There’s no Treasury or Assessing minors. Short of public administration, there’s not a whole lot that translates to the job in college. A lot of people have to be willing to pay dues in municipal finance, and I’m not sure people are willing to do that when they can have a more “lucrative” position working in the private sector.”
Question #5: What was your initial reaction when you first saw Wilmington’s Town Hall, where your office is located?
Perry: “North Andover [where I live and serve on the Board of Assessors] has an old building for a Town hall as well. Lowell [where I worked as City Auditor] has a City Hall that’s probably 100 years old.”
BONUS QUESTION: Anything about the town of Wilmington surprise? Have you been able to explore the community?
Perry: “Yes. I have a pretty good handle on the town. I grew up down the road in North Andover. I have relatives that live in Wilmington — I’m at their house every Easter. I’ve played Wilmington in sports back when Wilmington was in the Cape Ann League. It’s a beautiful town. There’s not enough good things I can say about it. It’s an excellent place with a lot of excellent people. I’m looking forward to working here.”
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