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Billerica's manager quits after saying town 'needs a lot of work'

E-mail|Link|Comments () June 15, 2009 07:15 PM

By David Abel, Globe Staff

The town manager of Billerica announced his resignation this morning in the wake of criticism for less-than-flattering comments he made about the suburb north of Boston, town officials said.

The town manager, William F. Williams, who has held the post since September 2008, did not return calls. But he was forced to apologize after negative remarks he made about the town of 40,000 people at last week's Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce Municipal Breakfast.

"Some individuals, and I'm not one of them, are stuck in the '80s, where they look at Billerica as a place that was great and we need to retro back," Williams said, according to The Lowell Sun. "Wendy's is considered to them to be a wonderful thing."

He was also quoted as saying: "I look at [Billerica] as a town that needs a lot of work. I look harshly at Billerica as a place that seems to be in distress. When I look at it that way, I'm not demeaning you, I'm just saying that you don't photograph well. You don't have curb appeal."

The comments peeved selectmen in the 354-year-old town, who put the matter on the agenda for a town meeting Tuesday night.

“I don’t think his comments worked to move the town forward,” said Marc T. Lombardo, chairman of the board of selectmen. “But I’m not going to kick a man when he’s down.”

He said Williams submitted his resignation this morning, and that it would take effect Sept. 15.

“He said the reasons are personal,” Lombardo said. “He said he wishes not to comment any further, other than to say it was a personal decision.”

He added: “I think his comments are a non-issue at this point. We’ll just pick up the pieces and go from there.”

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Readers: What do you think of Williams's comments? E-mail dabel@globe.com