Selectmen on Monday chose Avon Town Administrator Michael McCue to replace outgoing Town Administrator Rich LaCamera.

The decision, made shortly after the board publicly interviewed finalists McCue and Newburyport official Peter Lombardi, ends a search process that started with LaCamera's February announcement of a June 1 retirement. LaCamera, who has served the town for six years, later agreed to remain on the job until a successor was found.

A Mansfield resident, McCue has served in Avon since 2007. From 2001 to 2007, he served as a Selectman in Mansfield.

“My main focus was with the budgets. I know that’s special interest to this board considering there is a regional high school,” McCue said.

The decision to offer the job to McCue will be followed by salary and contract negotiations between the board and McCue. LaCamera's current salary is $104,000.

The second candidate, Lombardi, impressed Chair Brad Morse. Lombardi is the director of policy and administration for the mayor’s office in Newburyport.

For three years, Lombardi worked with the mayor and 11 council members to develop the city’s $56 million operating budget. That budget is much larger than the $19 million operating budget Annual Town Meeting voters approved in May.

While Selectmen agreed both candidates were “exceptional,” Morse opposed Naida Parker and Rick Nunes’s choice.

“I would choose someone like Peter, who is looking to make the next step in his career, over someone who is doing a lateral move and basically taking the same pay,” Morse said.

Selectmen approved McCue in a 2-0 vote while Morse abstained.

During the open interview, McCue was asked about his experience in Avon, a smaller town than Rochester, and Mendon, where he was the town’s executive secretary for one year. Despite the title of secretary, the role is akin to being the town’s chief administrative officer McCue noted.

He said his management style is to conduct weekly or bi-weekly meetings with financial officials and monthly meetings with department heads.

“We touch base and look for warning signs to make sure things are going in the right direction,” McCue said, adding he’s open to ideas. “I’m the type of person who believes a second or third look is warranted, especially when it comes to taxpayers’ dollars.”

Nunes and Parker said McCue’s background as a town administrator made him a good fit.

“We’re extremely lucky to have two people that really fit the bill,” Nunes said. “[McCue] has the experience and has been a town administrator for several years. I think it would be a seamless transition to leave Avon and be a town administrator in our town.”

Parker agreed and added that finding someone to replace LaCamera’s financial expertise with finances would be difficult.

Responding to a question from Parker, McCue said he would most likely move his family from Mansfield to the South Coast or Cape Cod if hired. He is married with three children.

“I would consider actually joining this community at some point,” McCue said.

Prior to working as Mendon’s executive secretary, McCue was the economic development and grants officer in Walpole for just under two years, from 2004 to 2006.

He graduated from Bridgewater State College in 2002 with a master’s degree in government administration and a minor in economic development and worked as a senior security administrator at the Draper Laboratory from 1989 to 2004.

The company is a private contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense.

At the end of the interview McCue declined to shake hands with board members. He wasn’t being impolite, just practical.

The previous night he was in the hospital after breaking up a dogfight between family pets.

One of the animals suffers from Lyme disease and has become increasingly aggressive. The wound required a cast, but there were no broken bones he said.

“I was collateral damage,” he said. “So I won’t be shaking hands.”