Matthew Scruton named Rye town administrator; leaves post in Greenland soon

Ian Lenahan, Portsmouth Herald
·4 min read

GREENLAND — Town Administrator Matthew Scruton is leaving his position early next month to take the same role in the Rye, completing a carousel of administrative moves the oceanside town has seen in recent months.

Scruton, a former state representative from Rochester and owner of Ten Rod Farm in the Lilac City with his wife, is leaving Greenland after being named town administrator by Greenland’s Board of Selectmen in March 2019.

Scruton’s final day as Greenland town administrator will be Sunday, Oct. 2.

“I have very much enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to work in Greenland as town administrator, a position that I have been in since 2019,” Scruton wrote in an email. “Greenland is a great community and I have made many lasting friendships while working here and serving the Board of Selectmen.”

Town Administrator Matthew Scruton is leaving his position early next month to take the same role in the Rye, completing a carousel of administrative moves the oceanside town has seen in recent months.
Town Administrator Matthew Scruton is leaving his position early next month to take the same role in the Rye, completing a carousel of administrative moves the oceanside town has seen in recent months.

While stating he was not looking to vacate his role in Greenland, Scruton noted the Rye job posting was shared with him and that he was encouraged to apply, setting off a series of meetings with Rye officials that later led to his accepting an offer from the town’s Select Board.

“Rye is a beautiful rural historic Seacoast town with a vibrant community that is well informed and engaged in civic matters,” Scruton said.

In June, the Rye Select Board posted a public notice stating that, due to both housing and labor shortages, “skyrocketing” fuel prices and “an impending economic slowdown/possible recession,” the town was “keenly aware” of the need to fill its finance director position that had been open for months.

Recruitment for the position, the Select Board wrote, showed a “lack of talent with the level of (New Hampshire) municipal experience” needed for the role. Due to the need to fill the finance director slot, then-Town Administrator Rebecca Bergeron agreed to step back and serve as finance director and Assistant Town Administrator, while Rye’s police chief, Kevin Walsh, became the acting Town Administrator.

Phil Winslow, chairperson of the Rye Select Board, noted the town interviewed 16 candidates for the Town Administrator position and further interviewed four finalists. The Rye Select Board announced Scruton's hiring in a message to the town's department heads and employees on Friday, Sept. 2.

Town Administrator Matthew Scruton is leaving his position early next month to take the same role in the Rye, completing a carousel of administrative moves the oceanside town has seen in recent months.
Town Administrator Matthew Scruton is leaving his position early next month to take the same role in the Rye, completing a carousel of administrative moves the oceanside town has seen in recent months.

Upon coming into his role, Scruton will work with the Select Board on numerous town issues, including adding bicycle paths and sidewalks, improving cell phone reception on the town’s beaches, moving town offices into the former TD Bank building on Washington Road, keeping water sources protected from possible contamination from the Coakley Landfill, and exploring sewer services on Route 1 to support residential development, said Winslow.

More: Check out this $4.35M Rye Beach home, one of 25 million-dollar sales on Seacoast in August

“He brings all the credentials I think that we're looking for, particularly as far as major projects going forward,” Winslow said of Scruton. “I think he’s going to be a great asset for the town.”

Scruton noted Rye, like Greenland, “shares many concerns” regarding local environmental, traffic and affordable housing issues, adding that both towns have “advocated for smart growth options at Pease that consider regional concerns and impacts.”

“Greenland recently celebrated their 300th anniversary and Rye is looking forward to celebrating their 400th anniversary of settlement in 2023,” Scruton said. “Having supported conservation over the years, I was also pleased to hear of all the progress the town (of Rye) has made in supporting marsh restoration, acquiring open space, and furthering the protection of the environment. I appreciate the trust the Rye Select Board has placed in offering me this opportunity and I look forward to working with the board, the staff and the community.”

Town Administrator Matthew Scruton is leaving his position early next month to take the same role in the Rye, completing a carousel of administrative moves the oceanside town has seen in recent months.
Town Administrator Matthew Scruton is leaving his position early next month to take the same role in the Rye, completing a carousel of administrative moves the oceanside town has seen in recent months.

Greenland Board of Selectmen chairperson Steven Smith said the town has not yet identified a new town administrator to replace Scruton but will decide how to proceed with its search soon.

“He goes to a lot of town activities,” Smith said of the departing Scruton. “He keeps abreast of what's going on in town even when he’s not working. He’s out there in the public and he’s a great resource.”

Before coming to Greenland, Scruton served over a decade in Farmington on multiple municipal boards, including the Board of Selectmen, Conservation Commission, Planning Board, Economic Development Committee, Budget Committee and Trustee of the Trust Funds.

Scruton has a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of New Hampshire.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Matthew Scruton to leave Greenland NH for Rye town administrator job