Michael McCall discussed his role as town manager, the changes he is implementing, and key decisions that could impact taxes during an interview at the Town Building on June 25.
McCall serves as Wayland’s first town manager, a position created following the adoption of the Town Manager Act in 2021. This law represents a structural shift in the way the Town of Wayland governs itself — one that replaces the former town administrator role with a stronger, more centralized authority model.
Under the new framework, the town manager serves as the chief executive officer and is responsible for executing day-to-day government functions, supervising department heads, managing personnel and finances, and acting as the town’s liaison to the community. While the Select Board continues to hold policymaking and oversight powers, McCall now bears the weight of implementation across nearly every area of town government. His authority extends to more than 150 municipal employees and 30 department managers, and he is directly involved in negotiations with five employee unions.
Despite the broad scope of responsibilities, McCall reports solely to the Select Board; he emphasized that he does not answer to any other board or committee. Even with five independently elected members, the Select Board acts as a collective executive authority.
McCall said he avoids informal, serial communication with individual members to maintain transparency and comply with the Open Meeting Law, adding that he deals directly with the Select Board chair. While he remains accountable to the full board, this approach helps coordinate agendas and preserve procedural clarity, he said.
Change is coming
McCall said his approach is to observe first, then act. Now, after two and a half years in Wayland, he’s begun implementing a series of operational changes focused on security, efficiency, and collaboration. Citing incidents in other communities where intruders caused property damage and harassed staff, he’s adding security cameras and developing lockdown procedures to ensure town employees feel safe in their workplace. He’s also hired a new IT manager to strengthen cybersecurity, prevent hacking vulnerabilities, and streamline internal systems.
In addition, McCall is exploring cost-saving opportunities through regional collaboration. Wayland is evaluating a plan to join a shared dispatch system with Framingham and Natick, and he’s assessing whether other departments might benefit from regionalized services. He emphasized that these changes are about building capacity, not eliminating jobs.
To address persistent complaints from residents about lack of communication between departments and the feeling of being bounced from one office to another, McCall is reorganizing Town Hall so that related departments that issue permits, such as Zoning, Building, Conservation and the Board of Health, are located in close proximity to one another. The goal is not only to simplify residents’ experience but also to foster more informal communication among staff.
While there’s been some turnover since becoming town manager, McCall said his goal is to retain the right people and build a professional team that works well together.
Tax planning, capital projects
Wayland faces a growing list of major capital projects, including school renovations, the library and town hall remodels, and the potential $1.5 million purchase of 14 West Plain St. While McCall manages the budget in coordination with the Finance Committee, the Select Board sets the tax rate, and any override exceeding Proposition 2.5% limit must be submitted to voters.
McCall said the fiscal 2026 budget will remain flat and that he hopes the same will be true in 2027, though that budget won’t be finalized until after Labor Day. However, with the town nearing its levy limit, he warned that an override vote may be required within the next three years.
Health insurance and special education remain the two most volatile expenses, McCall said. For large capital projects, the town could opt for debt exclusions and temporary tax increases tied to the repayment of voter-approved bonds rather than permanent overrides, he noted.
Town officials are still developing plans for the town hall remodel, but the roof needs to be replaced at a cost of about $1 million, McCall said. Library renovations are underway, and the newly formed Capital School Budget Committee is beginning to assess future school building needs.
The Massachusetts School Building Authority offers partial reimbursements for such projects, though wealthier towns like Wayland often receive less. Many communities, he said, are grappling with deferred maintenance on schools built during the Baby Boom.
Wayland currently has about 110 capital projects in progress. Facilities Manager Michael Faia, hired in July 2024, is working to close out simpler projects and prioritize the more complex ones, according to McCall, adding that funding is already in place for all of them.
The Economic Development Committee sees 14 West Plain St. as a rare opportunity to acquire commercial property near the town center and schools, McCall said. The Select Board has not yet made a decision, and any purchase would require approval from Town Meeting.
Background and perspective
After graduating with a degree in computer science, McCall worked on networks in central Europe, where he learned German, French and Spanish. After he graduated from law school, he worked as a prosecutor for 11 years, where he learned empathy and how to deal with people from all walks of life while becoming skilled in answering tough questions and developing a thick skin, he said.
McCall was on the Chelmsford Select Board for nine years and served on the Finance Committee while working as a corporate attorney for land use. Given his history, the Chelmsford town manager encouraged him to apply for the open assistant town manager position, a post he held for four years before moving to the town manager position in Southbridge for two and a half years. He has worked as Wayland’s town manager since early 2023. Government work is “in my blood,” McCall, adding that his immigrant grandfather held different municipal positions in Cambridge.
McCall said he views his position as the administrator in chief of a $100 million service organization. He pointed to his vest bearing a town manager badge on it, saying with a smile that it’s his uniform and that he wears it so that town hall visitors will recognize him. He wants residents to feel like someone is there to listen and take the time to answer their questions, even if they may not like the answer.
He also paid tribute to his staff, saying “Nothing gets done by one person; it’s a team effort.”
