Paul Cohen looks forward to bringing his experience as Harvard Town Administrator to Chelmsford. (photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

Paul Cohen’s last week as town administrator was as busy as any during his five-year tenure, with a plethora of media interviews following his exit from Harvard’s Town Hall to his entrance into Chelmsford. Cohen, who is taking the position of city manager there, starts the new job November 27. So far he has had no time to pack the family photos and Red Sox memorabilia that line the walls of his Town Hall office, and his departure has a touch of the unreal even to him. “It’s hard to think it’s finally here,” he said. “A week from now I’ll be sitting in my office in Chelmsford’s Town Hall.”

Cohen has a passion for good city government, and has made that passion his profession. After graduating with a master’s degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, he worked in various municipal administration positions before taking on the position of town administrator in Harvard. The process is what appeals to him most, he said, not the politics. “My mission [in Harvard] was providing good government to manage the town effectively,” he said. “That meant working with employees and the public to serve the town well.” That drive for good teamwork has been put to the test over the last several years, as budget challenges and capital projects dictated a need for good communication with town officials and Harvard residents. The good line of communication he was able to create is one of the things Cohen is most proud of, he said. “In a difficult budget period, we were able to work with the Board of Selectmen, the School Committee, and the Finance Committee to pull together the budgets in difficult fiscal times,” he said. It hasn’t all been about overcoming challenges, though. Cohen is equally proud of what has been built, and pointed to the creation of the Public Safety Building and the start of the new library as two of his biggest achievements. “The new library will be the centerpiece of the town,” he said.

When asked what challenges his successor will face, Cohen had ready answers. “The budget,” he said immediately. The immediate outlook for Harvard’s fiscal future is bleak, and it will take tremendous cooperation on the part of everyone in town to make next year’s budget work, he said. “An override is inevitable.” With rising health care costs, pension obligations, utilities, and labor costs, the town will certainly need to fund its costs over and above the 2 ½ percent towns can levy without a vote, Cohen said. In addition, he remains concerned with the outstanding contract negotiations with the police, the public works department, and the teachers. Adding to the challenge are the operating costs associated with the new library, and paying for the new roof at Bromfield. Cohen’s one regret is that he will not be around to help steer the town through it: “I kind of wish I was here to tackle it,” he said. “It’s an issue of such paramount importance to the town.”

Cohen doesn’t dwell on regret in the interview, however, preferring to talk about the challenge that lies ahead of him in Chelmsford. He is excited about the additional responsibility, he said, and the creative challenges of developing a town with a flourishing commercial base and a larger, more diverse population. As town manager, Cohen will have the opportunity to be more involved in economic development with full hiring responsibility and direct accountability for the town budget. Although he wasn’t actively seeking a new position when he was asked to apply for the position in Chelmsford, Cohen is looking forward to the change. “My heart and my head are both in agreement here,” he said. “I’m very comfortable with the decision.” The only thing he said he is really going to miss is the chance to swing through town and pick up his children from school on a moment’s notice. As well as being town administrator, Cohen is also a neighbor: For the last 11 years, he and his wife Phyllis have made their home in Harvard with their three children.

In closing, Cohen added the grace note so typical of his tenure, pointing out the credit due to those he worked with. “I want to express my appreciation to the officials I worked with, and the employees of the town, and the townspeople as a whole. I’ve tremendously enjoyed the last five years,” he said.

“I will miss it.”