Town Manager Receives Excellent Annual Evaluation from Town Council

The Amherst Town Council has once again commended Town Manager Paul Bockelman for “continued excellent work” in their annual review of his performance. The evaluation, written, as it has been in each of the previous six years by Town Council President Lynn Greisemer, was approved unanimously by the Town Council at their meeting of December 8.  The annual evaluation process of the Town Manager also includes a self-evaluation.  Read all previous evaluations of the Town Manager here. 

Responses from town boards, committees, and employees, generally low in the past, were down this year as well. Of the 313 town employees, only 15 completed the questionnaire—the second lowest response since 2011. From committees, boards, and commissions, the council received just three responses—the lowest they’ve ever had from these groups.  

Receiving little attention in the council’s evaluation was an assessment of the substantial input received from the public (45 responses), which, in contrast to the responses from town employees and boards, was the largest public response since the town began keeping a record in 2011.

The annual evaluation process has been criticized over the years (see e.g. here) for excluding public input. Last year the Indy sponsored a People’s Evaluation of the Town Manager, to provide an opportunity for the public to have a voice in the process. That evaluation was significantly more critical of the Town Manager than the council’s and can be viewed here.

The council’s evaluation highlighted both the Town Manager’s strengths and areas where his performance could be improved. From the council’s evaluation:

Manager Strengths
The most often cited [by Town Councilors] Manager strengths included: 

(1) Improved communications and timely emergency messaging — multiple councilors note clearer, more frequent messaging to Council and public, and prompt communication during emergencies (despite this being one of the three areas of the Charter requirements that a majority of Councilors rated the Manager as only meeting some of the expectations); 

(2) Day-to-day operational management despite staffing challenges—recognized ability to prioritize and maintain services even with vacancies; positive notes on recent appointments, particularly Department head appointments;

 (3) Progress on major capital/projects (elementary school, Jones Library, water treatment, paving, etc.)—this is seen as steady advancement of long-term projects; 

(4) Fiscal responsibility, oversight, budgeting, and grant acquisition—balanced budgets, clean audits, and effective pursuit of state grants were singled out; and

 (5) Availability and leadership style (accessibility to Councilors and steadiness under criticism). 

Areas for Improvement
The most often cited [by Town Councilors] areas where the Manager could improve included:  

(1) Support for staff and workplace morale—multiple Councilors commented employees feel under-supported, with concerns about compensation, facilities, and unfilled positions;

 (2) Concern that the Manager is stretched too thin and whether there are sufficient management resources to meet the demands of the job; 

(3) Project oversight and contract/process management—examples cited include the Jones Library project and DPW oversight where earlier review, transparency, or attention to required processes could have avoided delays/costs; 

(4) Fiscal prioritization and clearer budget tradeoffs—need for more direct council-facing explanation of fiscal choices, tradeoffs, and implications of council goals on the budget; 

(5) Hiring speed and succession/backfill—positions left open too long, increasing strain on remaining staff and reducing capacity; and 

(6) frustration at how long certain initiatives seem to take (CRESS being connected to dispatch is mentioned a number of times).

Town Council President Lynn Griesemer said, “Paul is known across the Commonwealth as a strong and innovative leader. He continues to meet or exceed the Town Council’s expectations on many of the tasks in the six performance goals and the expectations of the Town Manager laid out in the Charter. Despite growing fiscal challenges, Paul and the town staff provide a professional approach to the services they offer residents, allowing Amherst to be known as a community on the leading edge of addressing current issues. This includes obtaining many grants to enhance our services.”   

The Process
This year, the councilors were asked to evaluate the Town Manager according to three metrics: (1) a numerical rating of his performance for each of the 24 duties outlined in Section 3.2 of the Town Charter; (2) a numerical rating of his success in realizing the 33 specific action items listed in the 2025 Town Manager Goals; and (3) written comments of no more than 300 words each identifying (a) up to three areas of strength and (b) three areas in need of improvement.  

Across the six Town Manager Goals, Bockelman was rated highest on Climate Action for meeting or making expected progress for four of the six action items. For the remaining five goals, the council rated Bockelman as partially meeting the majority of the action items.  

More specifically, a majority of Town Councilors stated that the Town Manager “met” or that expected progress was made” for the following action items listed within the 2025 Town Manager Goals: 

• Climate Action—seeking and obtaining Climate Leader Community Designation, updating the FY27 Capital Inventory, and supporting the development of bylaws that address Battery Energy Storage and Solar Siting. 
• Community Health, Community Safety, & Social Justice— addressing space and program needs at the Senior Center and developing a plan for the Resident Oversight Board. 
• Housing & Economic Vitality—bringing the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) zoning regulations into compliance with state law and beginning work on adopting a new Master Plan. 
• Administration and Leadership—increasing anti-racism and anti-discrimination training of personnel. 
• Town Council, Community, & Strategic Relationships—pursuing strategic partnerships with Amherst and Hampshire Colleges. 
• Infrastructure Management, Maintenance, and Land Stewardship—signing a contract and breaking ground on the Jones Library project and addressing critical infrastructure needs for water and sewer. 

Regarding performance of the Town Manager’s duties as outlined in Section 3.2 of the Town Charter, a majority of the councilors ranked Bockelman as having met or exceeded expectations for almost all outlined duties. 

Bockelman said, “I genuinely thank the Town Council for taking the time to review my performance. I appreciate the feedback—both positive and constructive—from every member and remain committed to enhancing my performance. Collaborating with the town’s exceptionally talented and dedicated staff makes this demanding work both rewarding and meaningful.” 

The Town Manager’s contract includes a provision for a 2% cost-of-living adjustment. Bockelman, who has been the Town Manager since 2016, is currently in his tenth year and has a contract that extends until August 31, 2027. 

At the conclusion of this process, the Town Council developed new Town Manager Performance Goals for the coming year.