The Board of Selectmen Tuesday voted to increase Town Administrator Mark Andrews' salary by three percent, following an evaluation of his job performance since he was hired in December of 2009.

The raise was built into the Town Administrator's contract and was scheduled to be granted after one year in the position. His new salary will be around $104,000.

Selectmen Chair Jane Donahue noted the community's overwhelming support for Andrews during his first 14 months in Wareham. "We got so many letters, we wouldn't have time to read them all [tonight]," she said about the positive feedback the Board has been receiving on Andrews' work.

"I have achieved the goals I've set out for myself," Andrews told the Selectmen and meeting attendees. He listed improvements to fiscal security, department organization, internal and external communication, and championing the positive happenings in Wareham as accomplishments he helped facilitate.

"We've changed the culture and climate of town government," Andrews said. Since he started, Andrews has brought in new employees including Town Planner John Charbonneau and is also credited with standardizing the roles of department heads and helping to unify budget the process.

Andrews pointed out his involvement with the "Take Pride in Wareham" program, an effort to draw in new businesses by keeping streets clean and town employees enthused and accountable for their work. He cited the Wareham Jobs Bill, which brought eight additional full, year-round liquor licenses to the town, as one way he aided long-term business growth.

Andrews said that communication has been a key factor to his success. He meets with department heads on a weekly basis to discuss pending issues, he also keeps open office hours on Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. to speak with the public on any topic of concern.

Andrews was the first to point out his short-comings. "Time management is a problem for me because I will see anyone at anytime," he told the Selectmen. Delegation of tasks was another weakness Andrews said he will address.

Selectmen Cara Winslow and Steve Holmes agreed that Andrews needs to improve his scheduling and begin delegating work to the departments he oversees.

"Doing everything yourself isn't necessarily being an efficient leader," Winslow said to Andrews. "Instilling that motivation in others is what I want to see more of."

Holmes noted that department heads should be the people in control of specific issues and said Andrews needs to pass the torch on to them. "I want to see the letters we get about you about the department heads," he told Andrews.

Time management was a continuous theme throughout the Selectmen evaluations, but Andrews' work was also met with praise.

Andrews "has proven himself," Selectman Walter Cruz said. "He knows his stuff and he does his research."

Selectmen Brenda Eckstrom, who has worked with five Town Administrators during her six years on the Board of Selectmen, said she thought the town got the right person for the job.

Donahue added: "If the worst thing we can say about you is that you're like an over-booked doctor, that's pretty good."

An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed Selectman Jane Donahue's last quote to Selectman Brenda Eckstrom. Wareham Week & WarehamVillageSoup.com apologizes for the error.