At their April 2 meeting, the Sutton Select Board voted 5-0 to hire Austin Cyganiewicz  as the new town manager. Cyganiewicz had previously served as town administrator in Rutland since April 2023. 

In the April 15 meeting, Cyganiewicz signed a contract that will pay him Austin on a yearly salary of $180K; the position was advertised as high as $190K , depending upon qualifications, select board chair Dave Hall said. The town is not currently offering a contribution to a 457 SMART retirement savings plan (available to Massachusetts municipalities) that was available to town manager James Smith, who is retiring after 18 years.  

Cyganiewicz will also receive 20 days vacation for a one-week carry-over. He will also have a $400 monthly stipend for automobile use. His first official meeting with the Sutton select board will be in June.

Hall described the package as amenable and one that can grow with Cyganiewicz over time and over the course of new contracts.

Board members cited Cyganiewicz’s preparedness for his interview, and also for his achievements in Rutland

Select board members praised Cyganiewicz for his preparedness for the interview as well as his accomplishments in Rutland, where he helped develop human resources policies and created an online rubric to aid in the budget process and said that he was confident, clear and passionate about government.  Those experiences, members said, would serve the town of Sutton well.

His community engagement and planning and goal setting process was also praised.

Select board member Jeffrey Bannon said he thought that Cyganiewicz would bring a lot of continuity to the job.

Several board members said they had watched recordings of Rutland select board meetings and felt Cygnaiewicz conducted himself well, holding and explaining his position without alienating others, steering the conversation so it never became unfriendly.

The board interviewed two other candidates on March 31- Holden DPW director John Woodsmall  and Upton town manager Joseph Laydon. The three candidates were chosen in a screening process by a Sutton selection committee and consultants Community Paradigm. 

Austin has made this a low stress, easy process to get through, Hall said.