Key Points:
- Wilton’s town administrator position has been vacant for nearly eight months.
- Selectmen voted unanimously to appoint Fire Chief Jim Blanchfield as administrator and emergency management director.
- Officials emphasized operational experience and long-term planning, but did not publicly detail compensation or the Fire Department transition.
Why It Matters: The appointment fills a key role overseeing town operations, with implications for municipal management and Fire Department leadership.
Wilton’s Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Friday morning, Oct. 9, to appoint Fire Chief Jim Blanchfield as town administrator, filling a position that has been vacant for nearly eight months. He will also continue to serve as Wilton’s director of emergency management.
The 5-0 vote makes Blanchfield the second person to hold the administrator role, succeeding Matt Knickerbocker, whose last day was Feb. 13.
At the special meeting Friday, First Selectman Toni Boucher said Blanchfield had agreed to the compensation and accepted the role. Officials did not publicly specify his salary, contract length or start date, or explain how his appointment would affect leadership of the Fire Department.
“Jim brings a unique combination of municipal experience, legal knowledge, and a practical understanding of how town government operates,” Boucher said.
She said his work with department heads and town officials had given him an understanding of the importance of collaboration, communication and accountability.
UPDATE: After GOOD Morning Wilton published the news about Blanchfield’s appointment, the Town released an announcement in which he is quoted about his priorities for the role. “My goal is to build on the strengths of our Town organization, encourage collaboration across departments, and ensure that we continue to provide responsive, efficient, and responsible service to our community,” he said.
Selectmen Cite Leadership, Operational Experience
Selectman Rich McCarty, who said he served on the Fire Commission when Blanchfield was first hired, offered an extensive endorsement, emphasizing his judgment, public service and experience managing resources.
“He brings a calm, straightforward approach to difficult issues and recognizes that public trust is earned through clarity of purpose, consistency, and follow-through,” McCarty said.
McCarty said the administrator must understand municipal operations, support town employees and keep residents’ needs at the center of decisions. He also thanked Human Resources Director Sarah Taffel for her work on the search.
Selectman Ross Tartell emphasized Blanchfield’s ability to plan beyond the next budget year, saying the town has sometimes struggled to look five years ahead.
Tartell also said the board’s understanding of what it needed in an administrator had evolved during the search.
“We have a strong CFO who’s fighting her way through all of the different things that came through the past and that are emerging now, and what we need is someone with operational skills and vision,” he said.
Tartell credited Boucher’s leadership of the process. Boucher, in turn, thanked the working group, which she said included the full Board of Selectmen.
Before the vote, Selectman Matt Raimondi sought clarification about the motion’s wording, emphasizing that the board itself was making the appointment.
The agenda listed “Town Administrator Appointment and Approval,” and Boucher’s motion was to “appoint and approve” Blanchfield. Boucher and Taffel said that wording addressed both the board’s appointment authority and its authority over department head hiring.
“Just as long as it’s clear that this is a board of selectmen decision to appoint this person, I’m okay with that,” Raimondi said.
A Longtime Wilton Employee With a Legal Background
Blanchfield has served with the Wilton Fire Department for approximately two decades, advancing through the ranks of firefighter, lieutenant and captain before being selected as chief in 2020. He also serves as the town’s emergency management director.
Before joining Wilton, he served with the volunteer Trumbull Center Fire Department, rising to captain and serving for several years as president of its executive board. His responsibilities there also included serving as health and safety officer and infection control officer.
Blanchfield holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut and a law degree, earned cum laude, from Quinnipiac College School of Law. According to an announcement from the Town, his legal practice includes experience in municipal, employment, contract and land-use law.
His background includes work as an adjunct instructor at the Connecticut Fire Academy and Fairfield Fire Training School, along with certifications in fire leadership, hazardous materials response and emergency management.
Wilton Created the Administrator Role in 2022
The town administrator position was created in 2022 following a push by then-First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice to address increasing demands on the first selectperson’s office.
The role was designed to provide professional oversight of daily municipal operations and continuity through changes in elected leadership, while allowing the first selectperson more time for long-term planning, economic development and regional and state advocacy.
Knickerbocker, previously Bethel’s first selectman for 13 years, became Wilton’s first administrator in September 2022.
After he opted against seeking a new contract, the town began searching for a replacement. In February 2026, Boucher proposed putting the search on hold as part of an administrative reorganization, saying the position would remain in place but go unfilled for the time being.
Friday’s appointment brings a longtime department leader into that broader management role.
This is a developing story. GOOD Morning Wilton will update it as additional details become available.
