Less than a year after he started in the job, state Comptroller and former North Andover Town Manager Andrew Maylor said Tuesday he is resigning next month to become vice president and chief business officer at Merrimack College. The college said Maylor will be a key part of the campus’s next strategic plan. He plans to resign as comptroller effective Feb. 21 and begin his career in academia Feb. 24.
“Merrimack College has become a town in and of itself, as well as an important member of our host communities of North Andover and Andover. To have Andrew’s background and experience join the leadership team will be invaluable as the College continues to grow and meet the needs of our diverse community,” Merrimack Executive Vice President Jeffrey Doggett said.
In a memo to staff, Maylor said the Merrimack job came as a surprise but he was “compelled to accept a role which Merrimack College created specifically to take advantage of my strengths and experiences.”
During his tenure as comptroller, Maylor tangled with the legislature over its failure to close the books on fiscal year 2019 in a timely manner. After the inaction forced him to miss an Oct. 31 financial reporting deadline, Maylor threatened to unilaterally transfer the full amount of the state’s surplus to the Stabilization Fund and leave accounts in deficit if lawmakers didn’t act.
The legislature eventually passed a supplemental budget spending down the surplus but Maylor had said he would act unilaterally on Oct. 31 if the legislature again dragged its feet.