During a recent meeting of the Town Meeting/Manager Acts Review Committee in Danvers, Massachusetts, members engaged in a significant discussion regarding the residency requirements for the town manager position. The committee is considering whether to eliminate the current mandate that requires the town manager to be a resident of Danvers.

The conversation began with a proposal to drop the residency requirement altogether. Several committee members expressed their support for this change, arguing that it would allow the town to attract a broader pool of qualified candidates. One member noted that the best candidate should not be limited by their place of residence, emphasizing that a town manager can still be effective and engaged with the community regardless of where they live.

Concerns were raised about the potential lack of emotional investment from a town manager who lives outside Danvers. Some members worried that a manager residing far away might not participate in community events or understand local issues as deeply as a resident would. However, others countered that a professional town manager's role is to serve the community effectively, regardless of their home address.

The committee also discussed the idea of implementing a distance requirement, suggesting that candidates live within a certain radius of Danvers. However, this proposal faced opposition, with members arguing that such a requirement would be arbitrary and not necessarily indicative of a candidate's commitment to the town.

As the committee continues to deliberate, the focus remains on finding a balance between attracting qualified candidates and ensuring that the town manager is invested in the community. The outcome of this discussion could have lasting implications for how Danvers approaches its leadership roles in the future. The committee plans to revisit this topic in upcoming meetings, aiming to finalize recommendations that reflect the community's needs and values.