After receiving unanimous approval from the Select Board for the Council on Aging director position pending the outcome of contract negotiations, the town and Elizabeth Connell failed to reach an agreement in those negotiations.

According to Town Administrator David Cressman, the town and Connell could not come to agreement on a wage package. The Council on Aging board will now be charged with finding another candidate for the job, he said.

Council on Aging board member Cynthia Marland said the board has its next meeting scheduled for October 12 and could discuss the next steps at that meeting.

It is unclear whether there were any runners-up in the search that resulted in Connell being chosen for the job.

The Council on Aging has been without a formal director since February, after director Heather Sylvia resigned after serving just five months in her position. She cited a "hostile and unmanageable" work environment in her resignation letter.

Connell interviewed for the position before the Select Board on October 3. She gave a background of her career, which included serving as the Assistant Director of Elder Affairs for the City of Worcester and the Assistant Director of Fee for Service Programs at the MassHealth Office of Long Term Services and Supports.

She said that she had hoped to increase outreach in the community about the services the Council on Aging offers, raise awareness of issues affecting seniors and get more seniors involved in the department's programming.