Council Appoints Mulligan Town Manager for One Year

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI—The town's Acting Town Manager, Police Chief Thomas Mulligan, will serve as the town's full-time Town Manager for the next year.

The Town Council on Monday appointed Mulligan to the job full-time in executive session before its regular business meeting.

Mulligan, who stepped in to lead the town after the departure of former Town Manager Michael Embury last year, has agreed to a one-year contract.

Town Council President Kerry McKay said that Mulligan "has the respect and confidence of the people of this town, department heads, and I think is an excellent choice."

Additionally, McKay said that Mulligan has shown "great restraint dealing with us as a council and dealing with budget matters put before us."

Mulligan's appointment to the job full time for the next year effectively puts to rest the debate over who should lead the town after several months of searching that ultimately led to the council's first choice rejecting the job offer.

That candidate, whose name has not been publicly released by the council, reportedly decided not to take the job based on the political climate in the town. In an email that circulated on social media, a search executive hired by the town said that the candidate "remains concerned with the political atmosphere."

That candidate also was concerned with the compensation package and "while he knew the political environment was divisive, the social media posts he saw while he was in North Kingstown for the second round of interviews caused him additional concern."

The runner-up candidate—also the top choice of a citizens search panel that was formed by the council—did not get a job offer after the council voted in private to rescind the job offer, McKay said.

Mulligan's appointment for the next 12 months gives the town a chance to take a deep breath and focus on the budget and other major issues affecting the town without the uncertainty of a lack of a full-time manager.

Photo: Patch File Photo