MIDDLEBORO – Town Manager James McGrail received a glowing review — 4.4 out of 5 — during his first Town Manager review in Middleboro on Monday, Nov. 20

“There were 30 different goals that we set for him and he achieved every single goal and then some goals that were not even on the sheet,” said Select Board Chair Mark Germain.

The review, performed by Select Board members, evaluated McGrail on a number of aspects, including communication, teamwork and problem solving. 

Members of the Select Board remarked on McGrail’s dedication to the town.

“The amount of hours that is unseen by the public is ridiculous,” said Germain. “He is on call 24/7, his biggest flaw is that he doesn’t know how to relax.”

During the evaluation, McGrail received a 2.5% raise, bringing his salary from $180,000 to $184,500. McGrail also received a $2,500 stipend because he received Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official training. 

Select Board member Brian Giovanoni suggested that McGrail should take more time for professional development in the future. 

“Anyone in a professional position needs professional development,” said Giovanoni. “Sometimes professional development is something as simple as taking a CPR course because you are around people all the time.”

Giovanoni added that McGrail is a “puzzle solver.”

“That is a key piece of leadership that I see,” he said. 

Select Board member Neil Rosenthal said it was difficult to evaluate someone in the Town Manager position after just one year because “a lot of the changes he has made … haven’t really percolated through the system yet.”

“He is a very talented individual,” said Rosenthal. “I was amazed at how quickly he became familiar with Middleboro.”