Rehoboth Board of Selectmen ratifies fire chief contract, advances town administrator search

REHOBOTH -- May 18, 2026, Rehoboth Board of Selectmen ratified a new fire chief contract and moved its town administrator search toward a late-June appointment deadline. The board unanimously accepted a three-year contract for the incoming fire chief, announced after an executive session, and received a search update from a board member identified in the meeting as DJ, who reported roughly nine applications from across Bristol County with the posting set to close this week. Board Chair Rob set an internal target of no later than the third week of June for an appointment. The board also ratified a May 18 warrant totaling more than $6.4 million, accepted a first-quarter Comcast franchise fee of $52,163.93, approved new hire Thomas Horton as a part-time seasonal worker in facility maintenance, issued a junk dealer's license to Golden Door Thrift and Antiques, and corrected a prior vote to properly designate Robert E. Johnson II as Inspector of Animals and Brian McKierney as Assistant Animal Control Officer Inspector of Animals. Clerk of the Board George Solis announced that Town Administrator Deb Arruder is out on leave until further notice, with Solis handling all communications in her absence.