Robert W. Healy

In 1970, Healy was hired by Lowell Mayor Richard P. Howe to run his city hall office. That same year he earned his master's degree in educational administration from Lowell State College. Later that year he was named assistant city manager by city manager James Sullivan. When Sullivan departed Lowell for Cambridge in 1974, Healy served as acting city manager for one month.^[1] State Representative Paul Sheehy was chosen over Healy for the permanent job by the Lowell City Council after 53 ballots.^[2] After being passed over, Healy followed Sullivan to Cambridge to be deputy city manager. After Sheehy was fired in 1975, Healy applied for the job again.^[1] He was a finalist alongside William Taupier and Armand Mercier. Taupier was selected after sixteen ballots.^[3]

On May 18, 1981, Sullivan announced that he was resigning effective July 1 to become President of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. Healy was Sullivan's preferred successor and on June 8 the city council voted 8 to 1 to name him acting city manager upon Sullivan's departure.^[4][5] On December 14, 1981, Healy was named permanent manager.^[6] Healy retired as City Manager on June 30, 2013.^[7]

During the Occupy Wall Street protests, reports criticized the salary of the City Manager as being one of the highest in the State of Massachusetts.^[8][9] His salary was higher than that of the Mayor of the City of Boston,^[10][11] and that of the Governor of Massachusetts,^[12][13] In February 2011, City Councillor Leland Cheung pushed a policy order that would call for greater transparency in city council contracts for the Office of the City Manager's salary.^[14]