A Show of Support

Saugus veterans call for the reinstatement of former Veterans Service Officer Paul Cancelliere in an emotionally charged selectmen’s meeting

By Mark E. Vogler

Several leaders and members of the Saugus Veterans Council took a vocal stand at Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting, calling for former Veterans Service Officer Paul J. Cancelliere to be reappointed full-time to the job he held on a part-time basis for two years. “We’re disappointed in the lack of activity from the town in appointing somebody to fill that position,” Saugus Veterans Council Commander Stephen L. Castinetti told selectmen during the first citizens’ comment segment of the meeting.

“I’m here to ask you – whatever you have to do – get Paul back in that position where he belongs. It’s almost three months since we had a VSO. It’s unacceptable,” he said.

Selectman Anthony Cogliano made the motion to appoint Cancelliere on a nonpaid, interim basis until Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree fills the position.

“This is a personnel issue we’re really not supposed to be commenting on this evening,” Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta said, while also noting “this is not on the agenda to vote on tonight.” But selectmen went ahead and voted unanimously to support the Cogliano motion.

Cancelliere learned he had lost his 18-an-hour-a-week part-time job on June 30 – the end of the 2025 Fiscal Year. Yet, the position has remained vacant for nearly three months, prompting local veterans to worry about their benefits being jeopardized. He also applied for the job when the town first advertised the position. But he never received an invitation to be interviewed.

Castinetti sent an email to the Saugus veterans community Monday night, urging them to attend this week’s (Sept. 16) selectmen’s meeting “to show our concern and support for the reappointment of Paul Cancelliere as our VSO.”

“He’s done a great job and has helped a lot of needy veterans and families. Saugus needs him back! Take the time to show your support for those who need his services!”

More than three dozen local veterans and members of the Saugus Veterans Council responded in the show of support for Cancelliere – including former Saugus VSO Jay Pinette, who served the town for four years. “To me, there’s absolutely no excuse – zero – that this position is left unfilled,” Pinette told selectmen.

“It’s been known since January that this was coming. And here we are in September, and we’re just talking about interviewing,” Pinette said. “I have heard nothing but ongoing praise for the job that Paul has done since he’s been here. And it will be a credit to him and to the town and the veterans and their dependents in Saugus if he is fortunate enough to be reappointed.”

U.S. Navy veteran Rick Fail called Cancelliere “a proven success.”

“For the past few years, he’s done an exemplary job,” Fail said. “He knows the town. He knows the veterans. He knows what the job entails.”

Bob O’Toole, executive officer of the Saugus Veterans Council, said, “We got a known quality. Stick with the known quality.”

“a risk of falling out of compliance”

At Tuesday’s meeting, Cancelliere stressed that continuing to proceed without a VSO could jeopardize the town’s reimbursement from the state on veterans benefits. “Without a VSO in place, it’s a little bit difficult. The Town of Saugus is running a risk of falling out of compliance,” Cancelliere said.

“What does that mean? That means the state’s Executive Office of Veterans Services can cut back on what the town is reimbursed. It can go to 50. It can go to 25. It can go to zero,” he said.

Cancelliere shared statistics with selectmen related to the overall impact of Saugus veterans on the community. He noted that there are 1,059 veterans in Saugus, including 412 (39 percent) who are currently working, 43 (three percent) who are currently unemployed and 604 (57 percent) who are retired. Saugus veterans contribute $16,353,028 a year to the community, while the annual cost of veterans is $3,789,017, according to Cancelliere.

“For every dollar the town spends on a veteran returns five dollars to the community,” he said.

“I’m absolutely available to be chosen as your veterans service officer. It’s a job I love. It’s a passion of mine. And it’s my way of giving back to thousands of veterans who supported me throughout my military career,” he said.

Castinetti, a former selectman who has been commander of the Saugus Veterans Council for 15 years, said Saugus “had a great VSO until the coalition broke up between Saugus, Melrose and Wakefield” earlier this year. Melrose and Wakefield went on to hire full-time VSOs while Saugus did nothing, Castinetti said. “We don’t understand why Paul Cancelliere wasn’t reappointed the day they broke up. Paul has been one of the best VSOs,” he said.

Meanwhile, Selectman Corinne Riley asked Crabtree at a selectmen’s meeting nearly a month ago (Aug. 19) what the status was of filling the VSO position. The town manager said he had received applications from several qualified candidates and was in the process of conducting interviews.

Crabtree didn’t seem comfortable with Tuesday night’s discussion about the VSO. He said it was inappropriate to be discussing personnel decisions during the meeting. “You’re trying to do the job interview here,” Crabtree told Cancelliere.

“This is about you interviewing for the job and less about the veterans. This is a personnel issue,” the town manager said.

At one point recently, there was some apparent discussion among selectmen as to whether the board had the authority under state law to appoint a VSO. Cogliano noted that he had discussed the matter with Town Counsel John Vasapolli, who provided a legal opinion that only the town manager has the authority to hire and pay a VSO, though it would be legal for selectmen to make an appointment – but not to a paid position. “We don’t have the authority to pay,” Cogliano said.

“You have the authority to appoint a VSO,” Castinetti said.

“Stand on your own two feet and appoint somebody to see what he [Crabtree] does,” he said.

Crabtree insisted that “we’re close to filling that position and it will be filled in a couple of weeks.” The town manager called it “a priority” for his administration, adding that the Tuesday night’s discussion “offended me.”

“I don’t think it’s professional. I don’t think it’s good for anybody here or the public,” Crabtree said.

“To imply the veterans aren’t a priority for the town or me is upsetting,” the town manager said. “This is about you interviewing for the job and less about the veterans. Let’s make this about the veterans, and the position will be filled in a week or two.”

Seven veterans and family members went to the lectern to express their support for Cancelliere, each one drawing applause from the back of the second floor auditorium.

Cancelliere asked Crabtree whether it would be possible to include the Veterans Council or veterans community in the selection process. “That’s not part of my process or HR’s [human resources] process,” he said.

Crabtree apologizes to selectmen

The discussion ended with Crabtree and Cancelliere meeting for a one-on-one discussion while selectmen took a recess.

During the town manager’s report later, Crabtree expressed his personal regrets as to how appointing a VSO has progressed, to date. “I apologize to the board. I would have liked to have the position filled sooner. Different unforeseen circumstances have taken a little longer this summer, a lot of different issues that I won’t get into. But we’re close to filling that position. It will be filled within a couple of weeks,” Crabtree said.

“There was an implication here that I don’t think was fair to the board, to myself or anybody. There are no veterans that aren’t receiving benefits. And if there are, please come and contact my office. I had a conversation with Paul offline and he agreed that it wasn’t fair to do that. It was an implication that somehow we’re not providing benefits to veterans. That’s absolutely not true. The veterans are receiving benefits. It’s a priority for us and it offended me, and I’m sure you felt the same way – being implied that somebody’s not getting benefits and that we’re not honoring our military.”