LYNDEBOROUGH —The board of selectmen surprised Town Administrator Burton Reynolds this week by informing him that he will be retiring sooner than expected.

Reynolds, who served as town administrator in New Boston for 15 years, has been working part-time in Lyndeborough for almost a year, training administrative assistant Kate Thorndike to become town administrator. He was originally due to leave his post on July 1, but Reynolds said he and the board recently agreed that he would retire in June because Thorndike was well-prepared to take the reins.

However, the board informed Reynolds at Wednesday night's selectmen's meeting that he had two weeks left on the job. The news came after all of the residents who had attended the meeting, as well as Thorndike, had left.

According to Reynolds, Selectman Donald Sawin suggested that having Reynolds leave before the agreed-upon June date would be a cost-saving measure for the town.

The board also said that cutting the town administrator budget by eliminating Reynolds' few remaining weeks would send a signal to the police department — which has also had its budget cut recently by the board — that there were cuts happening throughout town government.

Reynolds, a lifelong resident of Lyndeborough, said he was surprised by the board's decision, especially because it came after everyone else had left the meeting, not during the time allotted to talk about town administrator issues at the beginning of the session.

Board Chairman Arnold Byam said people left the meeting because they had grown bored and the decision to let Reynolds go early was meant to “show solidarity with the police department that we are cutting back in other areas.”

“Kate is more than capable of handling the duties,” said Byam, “and Burton was getting ready to retire anyway. We'll save eight or nine hundred bucks by letting him go a few weeks early, but he's going to be working with us on some other projects.”

Reynolds said the move will only save the town about $60 a week.

Rumors were circulating on Friday that Reynolds was let go early because he has voiced disagreement with the board over the current police department set-up, but Byam said the decision had nothing to do with ongoing struggles with the police department.

“Burton has his own opinions on things and that's OK,” said Byam. “And if the town wants to hire a police chief, they can put that on the warrant.”

Currently, Lyndeborough has an officer-in-charge (OIC) running the department and sharing administrative duties with the board. The current arrangement was created a few years ago, after the town voted to eliminate the position of police chief in a move to oust then-Chief James Basinas.

The attorney general's office is currently leading an investigation involving the police department. Selectmen have been tight-lipped about what the investigation entails.

“That will all come out in time,” said Byam.

The board is entitled to low-cost legal representation through the Local Government Center, but Byam said Friday that LGC declined to represent the town. Since March, selectmen have paid $15,000 in legal fees to a private law firm as a result of the investigation.