ROCKPORT — Linda Sanders, the woman serving as town administrator in the Central Massachusetts community of Ashby, has accepted an invitation from Rockport's selectmen to become the town's fourth permanent town administrator.

"She heard the news (Tuesday) night and negotiations are proceeding," Selectman Chairman Sandy Jacques confirmed yesterday.

Sanders, 60, one of three finalists who was advanced by Rockport's search committee and interviewed publicly last week, was the unanimous pick of the five selectmen during a special meeting Tuesday night in Town Hall.

With the vote, she beat out fellow finalists Orlando Pacheco and Robert Canevazzi to fill the Town Hall seat most recently occupied by Michael Racicot. Edgar Gadbois has been working as interim town administrator since Racicot's July exit.

Several attempts to reach Sanders by phone were unsuccessful yesterday. But Jacques said she made it clear to all the selectmen she was the best fit for Rockport.

"The Town Administrator Search Committee made our jobs much easier," Jacques said yesterday. "She matched the town's needs better than the other two."

Selectmen hope to finalize a contract in the coming weeks.

The position was advertised with a starting salary of between $90,000 and $105,000. But before entering executive session Tuesday night to discuss the details of the contract offer, Selectman Ellen Canavan suggested selectmen should be willing to pay Sanders what they would've been prepared to pay either of the two male finalists — despite the fact that both men had listed salary requirements of at least $100,000, while Sanders had entered $95,000, Canavan noted.

Selectmen hope to have Sanders in place at Town Hall by Jan. 1.

Sanders will perform many of the same duties as her predecessor, but will have less authority over town committees and boards after the selectmen changed the town administrator's job description last spring. The most notable change, a one-word alteration, was inspired by a series of controversial decisions by Racicot to not recommend several residents for reappointment to volunteer committees. In each instance, the decision was met by a public outcry as residents questioned the administrator's role in the appointment process.

The town administrator will no longer be required to submit a recommendation for appointment or removal of any department heads, members of boards and committees, and employees for which selectmen are the appointing authority.

Though selectmen unanimously agreed to change the wording from "shall recommend" to "may recommend," Selectman Charles Clark's vote, at the time, was coupled with his argument that the change would let the town administrator "off the hook."

Selectman Sarah Wilkinson was excited by the selection of Sanders.

"I think we made a great decision," she said, adding "I hope the negotiations go well; I assume they will."

Sanders is beloved by many in the town where she has worked for the past dozen years, including selectmen who have called her upcoming departure a big loss for Ashby.

Rockport's selectmen noted several letters of recommendation during her interview Nov. 3, some praising Sanders for her role in ensuring handicapped accessibility to Ashby's public library. An expansion of the library was needed to allow it to be made accessible, but a faction of the town didn't want to spend any money on it and several neighbors said they didn't want a larger building encroaching on their backyards.

Sanders worked to secure an $800,000 Community Development Block Grant and community support for the project, which was completed. Library use has increased 20 times from pre-expansion, Sanders said.

It was those kind of results in addition to her people skills that most impressed Rockport's selectmen.

"She's proven she knows how to roll up her sleeves, get a brush and paint Town Hall," Jacques said, alluding to remarks she made during her interview about completing whatever kind of work that needed to be done. "She knows how to get things done and that's going to make it much easier for us to focus on policy direction and the long-term issues we've never really been able to do."

Jonathan L'Ecuyer may be contacted at 978-283-7000 x3451 or jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.