Town Treasurer Greg Barnes is on his way out of Dartmouth.

Last week, the Raynham Select Board voted unanimously to make Barnes its next town administrator, replacing Graham Waters, who left in June after less than three years on the job. 

Barnes was also a finalist for the town administrator position in Westport last year, but the job ultimately went to former Assistant Administrator and Town Planner James Hartnett.

The Dartmouth resident is expected to begin that job on Sept. 1. His last day in Dartmouth is Aug. 31.

“Literally the next day I start in Raynham,” Barnes said.

He said the decision to work elsewhere was because he wanted to do more system-wide municipal work.

“This is a career opportunity for me,” Barnes said. “It also seems to be a pretty dynamic community.”

According to Dartmouth Town Administrator Shawn MacInnes, the town will start the search for a new treasurer “right away.” He added that officials are hopeful to bring another experienced director on board in the coming months.

“He’s been a dedicated employee and his historical knowledge of the town will certainly be missed,” MacInnes said.

According to Barnes, there are plans to have an interim director appointed as the search process goes on.

“We have a good finance team here,” he said. “I think they can take the reins.”

Barnes has held his Dartmouth position for 12 years, also serving as interim co-town administrator in 2018. 

Before that, he was the town administrator for Swansea and Townsend for about 10 years and was the assistant town administrator for North Attleboro from 1999 to 2001.

During his tenure in Dartmouth, the town received a AAA bond rating, the highest rating that can be achieved through the Standard & Poor's Ratings Services. The ratings denote that the town has a strong capacity to meet its financial commitments.

Barnes also takes pride in the construction of the new police station on Tucker Road, along with many other projects and developments he helped secure financing for.

“I like to think I’ve made an impact in Dartmouth,” he said.

While Barnes expressed his excitement for this new opportunity, he said he has a bittersweet feeling about leaving Town Hall come the end of the month. He said that he will especially miss many of his fellow workers, committee members, and residents he would assist.

“Dartmouth is a great community — it has a lot going for it,” he said. “I have a great affinity for this town.”

This story was updated to include comment from Greg Barnes.