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Meghan O’Sullivan
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Bernard F. Lynch Begins New Post
as Lowell City Manager

Lynch Brings More Than Twenty Five Years of Experience in City Government and Economic Development

(Lowell, Massachusetts) - The City of Lowell has officially appointed Bernard F. Lynch as Lowell’s new City Manager.  Lynch, who spent the past seventeen years as the Town Manager for Chelmsford, assumed his new role effective August 1, 2006.

As City Manager, Lynch will direct the activities of 3,418 city employees carrying out a variety of municipal functions. The city will operate during 2006 - 2007 fiscal year on a budget of $281 million. Lynch is the City’s sixteenth manager since Lowell adopted the council-manager form of government in 1944.  He succeeds John Cox, who retired July 31 after serving for six years.

The City Council selected Lynch from among thirty six applicants.  “This was a nationwide search and it validated for us that Lynch is the best choice to lead the City,” says Lowell City Councilor, Kevin Broderick. “He is a professional manager with an excellent track record in municipal management.”

As Chelmsford Town Manager, Lynch was responsible for financial management; operating and capital budget preparation and review; human resource management; procurement; direction of town departments; coordination of elected and appointed boards and committees, grant writing and long term planning.

Some of his major accomplishments in Chelmsford included establishing and implementing financial management policies, a long-term financial plan and an award winning budgeting system.  Financial reserves were increased from $340,000 to $8,000,000 from 1992-2003, while property taxes were held below the limits of Proposition 2 1/2.  In addition Lynch Established the town’s first consolidated public works department, public facilities department, finance department and community development office.

Prior to his position as Chelmsford City Manager, Lynch served as Chelmsford’s Executive Secretary. His experience in municipal government is vast. He has served as an independent consultant to municipalities, as the Executive Director for the Methuen Neighborhood Development Corporation and as a Policy Analyst for the Massachusetts Housing and Finance Agency.

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