Narragansett council publicly reviews town manager, recommends clearer communication

The Narragansett Town Council on June 1 conducted a public performance review of Town Manager Jim Tierney that the council summarized as meeting expectations overall with notable strengths in fiscal management and emergency response.

Council member Alex presented the evaluation results, saying the council’s average overall score for Tierney was 3.6 out of 5, noting “meets expectations with a lot of areas of exceeds expectations.” The formal review covered the period Nov. 5, 2024, through May 31, 2026, and asked council members to provide constructive comments to guide the town manager’s work going forward.

Tierney used the public forum to highlight accomplishments under his tenure, including negotiating collective bargaining agreements, maintaining a high bond rating and obtaining roughly $13.25 million in grant funding during his service. He told the council, “there’s nothing nefarious about this evaluation,” and described efforts to improve services such as upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant and staffing initiatives across public safety departments.

In the evaluation presentation, council members commended the town’s financial management, noting the staff-led budgeting process and that the town had preserved a favorable bond rating. Members also pointed to improvements in police and fire accreditation, grant procurement and capital projects such as the beach wall and wastewater upgrades.

At the same time, the council identified recurring opportunities for improvement. Members urged clearer, more consistent communication to residents and better alignment between council policy direction and departmental execution. The council asked that the town manager and staff continue to refine public messaging and to strengthen ordinance enforcement practices where needed.

Council members said they would share the specific, individual comments behind the summary with Tierney and that a separate executive-session discussion about his contract will follow. The public review closed with council appreciation for Tierney’s leadership during crises and his role coordinating with state and federal partners.

The council took no personnel action at the meeting beyond the public evaluation; it noted that contract matters will be addressed in executive session at a later date.