Veterans of town service square off for top job

Former deputy police chief challenges sitting town administrator

By Patrick Luce
Posted 7/28/16

Town employees want to feel empowered. They want the town to succeed, and they want a say in how that is achieved.

And it’s the town administrator’s job to make sure they have that …

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Veterans of town service square off for top job

Former deputy police chief challenges sitting town administrator

Posted

Town employees want to feel empowered. They want the town to succeed, and they want a say in how that is achieved.

And it’s the town administrator’s job to make sure they have that chance. That has not been the case the last four years, according to a challenger for the position, an opinion the current administrator refutes.

“Morale and productivity go hand-in-hand,” said Stephen Contente, the former Deputy Police Chief running for town administrator. “You have to listen to employees. You need to build a connection between the employees and the administration. You need to make them part of the community.”

In his view, Town Administrator Antonio Teixeira has failed in that goal, which has prompted him to run for the office.

“There has been a failure in leadership,” Mr. Contente said this week, adding his experience managing 52 police officers has prepared him for the administrator role. “I think he’s a micro-manager. The position needs somebody that employees and townspeople can be proud of.”

The micro-manager label attached to Mr. Teixeira is nothing new. It has followed him around since he first was elected to his first term four years ago. Mr. Teixeira acknowledges there is that sentiment out there, but it is a falsehood born of misunderstandings, he said.

“I have heard some of that; some employees have thought I was spying on them,” Mr. Teixeira said. “But I don’t think I’m a micro-manager. There’s a difference between micromanagement and accountability. If you’re doing your job, you should never have to worry about looking over your shoulder.”

The label comes from a time early on in his administration when he was driving around town to check on the progress of road work on Ballou Boulevard. He happened to be behind a Department of Public Works truck as it headed in the same direction, making frequent stops to pick up recycling by the side of the road.

“Somehow, they thought I was following them,” Mr. Teixeira said, noting it’s not unusual to run into town employees as they are all traveling around the town doing their jobs. “I cannot think of any instance when I would go to an employee and say they should do something differently, but I will mention it to their department head. I just see myself making sure things are efficient, and if there’s something I observe, I will call them on it.”

Employee relations isn’t Mr. Teixeira’s only shortcoming, Mr. Contente said. He has struggled to bring department heads together and empower them to be leaders in the town. He has also failed to partner with business owners to make them feel part of the community and keep them in town employing local people, specifically mentioning Bristol Toyota, which left town last year.

“I find a total lack of caring in retaining businesses,” Mr. Contente said, adding he would stay in constant communication with existing businesses and direct the Community Development department to find building space that could be used for new businesses. “We want to keep businesses, attract new businesses and help use underutilized space. Bristol is a beautiful place to live and work. We need to sell that.”

That is exactly what the town has been doing, Mr. Teixeira said, pointing to newly full-time Economic Development Director Jessica Pflaumer as evidence of his efforts to attract and retain businesses. Previously a part-time position, Mr. Teixera combined it with the also part-time Community Development Black Grant coordinator so businesses have a full-time person in the town they can turn to.

“Whether a current or a new business, they have someone they can connect with,” Mr. Teixeira said. “We’ve become much more efficient when a new business comes in. Zoning, permits, building inspections — she walks them through the whole process. We are trying to reach out to current businesses. Jessica is making a point of going out to them.”

Mr. Teixeira also refutes the claim he doesn’t bring department heads and other town leaders together. It’s actually quite the opposite, he said, noting a recent seminar they attended at Salve Regina University that focused on communication and project management. He said he has frequent department head meetings that produce efficiencies, specifically mentioning a recent meeting during which the Water Department and DPW realized they could share equipment on a catch basin project.
Not only has he brought department heads together, but has also facilitated cooperation among other governmental agencies, Mr. Teixeira said, working with DPW, the state Department of Transportation and National Grid to coordinate road projects so streets don’t have to be paved and reopened more than once.

Still, there should be more of that type of cooperation, Mr. Contente said. He mentioned a new Dunkin’ Donuts planned for Gooding Plaza, which will eat into the parking spots volunteer firefighters at Defiance Fire Company use. “Who’s looking out for our townspeople and volunteers,” he asked.

It’s a job he believes he can do better. Mr. Contente spent 20 years as a Bristol police officer, retiring as deputy chief last September. But he’s not done serving the town, he said. Working directly with the public and “being in people’s houses in the best and worst times” has built a strong connection to the town and its people, he said.

Supervising 52 officers has given him the management skills he needs to be an effective administrator, he said.

“I have experience and I have a passion for this town,” Mr. Contente said. “I’m not a micro-manager. I will bring people together. I have unfinished business with this town.”

Mr. Teixeira said he won’t start campaigning full-time until after the primaries in September, but said Bristol voters know the work he has put in and he is comfortable leaning on his accomplishments to win votes.

“I think I have honorably represented the town, and we’ll let the voters decide,” Mr. Teixeira said. “He has provided a valuable service to the town. I have a great respect for him and appreciation for his service. But, at the same time, this is an election and only one of us will be chosen by the voters. If they feel they need a change, let them speak, but I’m not ready to pass the baton just yet.”

Bristol Town Hall, Bristol RI, Bristol town administrator

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