Maltez Selected as Chelsea City Manager

Select Board to Hold Special Session Thursday

Chelsea, MA & Reading, MA — By a vote of 10-1 this past Monday night, Reading Town Manager Fidel Maltez was selected by the Chelsea City Council to be the next City Manager for the city of Chelsea. Maltez, a resident of Chelsea who previously served as DPW Commissioner before being hired as Reading Town Manager in December of 2021, was interviewed along with three other finalists by the council this past Saturday.

Members of the city council cited Maltez’s empathy, collaborative nature, and ability to connect with residents as reasons for the selection. Several also mentioned his familiarity with the community as a positive indication of future success. Maltez served as the Commissioner of Public Works in Chelsea for five years prior to being hired as Reading’s Town Manager in December of 2021.

During his interview on Saturday, Maltez referenced his experiences both in Chelsea and in Reading, sharing his belief in collaboration and the two words that he said define his career: “responsiveness and accountability.” He recognized that city manager is not a forty-hour-a-week job and that part of the job is to “answer the phone when it rings,” regardless of the hour.

“My priority is the residents,” Maltez added.

Maltez assured the council that his role is to “translate policy into day-to-day operations,” not to create policy. Maltez also highlighted his responsibility to ensure the long-term fiscal health of the community, managing people “through trust.” He empathized with the challenges facing Chelsea as an urban area, noting housing and infrastructure issues as continuing concerns. He also shared his philosophy to engender trust through the building of personal relationships.

When asked about the biggest controversy he has encountered, Maltez cited the issues with rubbish and trash removal that occurred in Reading only months into his tenure. He shared that he helped solve the crisis through the direct action of getting Reading’s Department of Public Works involved in trash removal. If he had to do it again, Maltez indicated that he wished he had not waited three weeks to take action.

“It took us taking matters into our own hands to turn things around,” Maltez stated. 

Maltez also cited securing over $4 million of the funding for the Maillet, Sommes, and Morgan Conservation Area project as one in which he worked collaboratively with state and federal elected officials.

“Congratulations to Fidel on his appointment as the next City Manager of Chelsea,” Reading Select Board chair Jackie McCarthy shared. “We thank him for all he has done for Reading in the past twenty months. Reading’s loss is Chelsea’s gain.”

McCarthy also indicated that the Select Board will discuss the transition process at a special meeting of the Select Board on October 5 at 7:00 p.m. At that meeting, the board will consider the potential hiring of a consultant to aid in the search process for a new Town Manager.