“Customer service is our top priority, and it always will be,” said Dori Vecchio, Auburn town manager. “Our residents are our customers, and we are here for them.”

Vecchio then described a situation where she and other town personnel visited a resident’s backyard. The land was close to I-290 and the traffic drone was almost deafening, which impacted the neighborhood’s quality of life. After the town contacted the Mass. Department of Transportation, fencing was to be installed to help minimize the constant traffic noise.

Auburn residents who have concerns such as potholes, road hazards, streetlight outages, illegal dumping, graffiti, or overgrown vegetation or downed tree branches are encouraged to register and contact the town through the 311 site www.seeclickfix.com. 

Vecchio described how the Assistant Town Manager Paul Dell’Aquila works with the Planning and Land Use Developer Rose Russell to improve current and new business experiences. This department’s motto is “How Can We Say Yes?” The department’s goal is to have flexibility with all current, new, and potential businesses in town.

One of her proudest moments was seeing the completion of Camp Gleason for community use. At its ribbon cutting in October 2025, Vecchio said it was “a symbol of Auburn’s commitment to preserving our history, investing in our future, and building spaces that bring the community together.” 

Another major goal that the town manager accomplished was developing strong relationships with the town’s unions. She called on her background in human resources to finalize nine, three-year contracts without legal assistance, which saved the town thousands in legal costs.

The new fire station project was begun under the former town manager, and a groundbreaking was held on June 4. “This building will provide a state-of-the-art facility for our fire personnel with room for future expansion. It’s all very motivating and encouraging for everyone involved,” said Vecchio, “and since funding was part of our town’s debt exclusion, that was very important, too.”

With feedback from town residents, Goddard Park was completed with new walkways, lighting, and benches. The original missile had broken apart and was given to Worcester’s Ecotarium for display.

The town also installed a new electronic payroll system and an electronic purchase order practice, resulting in additional savings by going paperless. “These new systems created new efficiencies for us, a huge help,” Vecchio stated.

She described the new budget and accounting system that was put in place to oversee departmental requests. “Now we are using actual prior expenditures from previous years as well as year-to-date numbers,” said Vecchio. Department heads submit requests, which are reviewed and justified at budget meetings. These are then delivered to the town manager for review where recommendations are made to the finance committee and selectboard.

“It all makes for more transparency and an entirely new budget process,” said Vecchio. The town’s 2027-2028 budget is $91,832,000, which was passed at its recent town meeting.

Vecchio stated, “I will only make a decision that’s good for the Town of Auburn. I am proud and humbled to be the town manager of Auburn. Although we have accomplished a lot in the past year, we still have much work to do. I look forward to this next year and all the challenges and triumphs it may bring.”