RUMFORD – Selectmen on Thursday postponed a decision on whether to share a manager with the town of Mexico.

During a hearing prior to the Board of Selectmen meeting, local businessman Ron Theriault spoke at length about why he didn’t think it was feasible to share a manager.

“If it didn’t work in Dixfield and Mexico, it’s not going to work here,” Theriault said, referring to the time Dixfield hired Mexico Town Manager John Madigan to work part-time while he worked full-time for Mexico.

Interim Rumford Town Manager Len Greaney objected, saying Madigan took on the Dixfield job with a goal to save the town money.

Backing up his claim, however, Theriault referred to quotes attributed to Madigan in a recent newspaper article.

“Madigan said there just isn’t enough time for one manager to serve two towns,” Theriault said.

Later, Greaney said his goal is to move things forward so that when and if Rumford decides to hire a town manager, that person would have fewer issues to tackle.

Theriault then referred to a town charter provision regarding the time to hire a town manager, saying that it should be done in June.

“Unless the candidate accepts a one-year probationary period, it’s not going through. Even if they’re approved, it’s not going through. I think the next town manager should have a better opportunity to pursue economic development. We’ve got some full-time issues and I think we need a full-time town manager,” Theriault said.

He suggested that the board start advertising for a town manager in March, conduct interviews in April and May, and hire in June.

“If you hire in June, the one-year probationary period would start in June and then it would be in step with the charter,” Theriault said.

Selectman Brad Adley agreed, but wanted to start the search a month earlier.

Resident Kevin Saisi said he believed the town needs a full-time manager, not an interim leader.

“I feel that three days a week, eight hours a day is insufficient to do the town manager job,” Saisi said.

Greaney thought otherwise. He said he’d stay on to help the next town manager get acquainted with the job even if it meant taking a cut in pay.

Selectman Frank DiConzo clarified his previous stance on the issue, saying that he only favored hiring Madigan if Mexico and Rumford merged into one city. Since that isn’t likely to happen soon, he said both towns need full-time town managers to handle business.

“I’m very content now to see our interim town manager become the town manager,” DiConzo said.