Town Leadership
The Town Administrator’s Office
The Town Administrator
Jeffrey Madison
When a road washes out or a housing plan comes up for review, the person with the most operational control over the response is appointed, not elected. Jeffrey Madison is the Town Administrator, hired by the three elected members of the Select Board to run the town day to day, and the board can replace him if it loses confidence in the work. He is the town’s chief administrative officer: he oversees the department heads, shapes and presents the annual budget, and carries the town’s major spending requests to Town Meeting for the final vote. He is appointed by the Select Board and serves under contract, not by election. Because Aquinnah hands the daily machinery to an appointed administrator, the plan to fix a problem usually crosses his desk first, then goes to the board and to Town Meeting, where every registered voter in the room has the final say. He invites residents to bring any matter of concern directly to the Town Office Building.
| Role | Town Administrator (chief administrative officer) |
|---|---|
| Selection | Appointed by the Select Board under contract, not elected |
| Office | Town Office Building, 955 State Road, Aquinnah, MA 02535 |
| Phone | 508-955-9181 |
| Website | aquinnah-ma.gov |
What the Town Administrator Does
- Runs the departments. Police, fire, highway, health, the library, and the rest work under the Town Administrator, who coordinates their budgets and their work.
- Builds the budget. Each year the Administrator proposes how the town will spend its money, then defends that plan before the Select Board and Town Meeting, which holds the final vote.
- Answers to the board. The Administrator serves at the pleasure of the elected Select Board and carries out the policies it sets.
- Reports to Town Meeting. Major spending and bylaws still need the vote of Town Meeting, and in Aquinnah that means every registered voter who walks in.
The Administration
- Department heads run the day-to-day work of the town, from clearing a town road to inspecting a septic system.
- The Select Board is the check: it hires and can dismiss the Administrator, sets policy, and signs the warrants that put questions before Town Meeting.
- Boards and commissions, many of them appointed by the Select Board, decide questions like zoning, conservation, and licensing.
Contact & Engage
- Town Office Building: 955 State Road, Aquinnah, MA 02535.
- Town Administrator’s Office: 508-955-9181, main town line 508-645-2300.
- Report a problem: washed-out shoulders, downed signs, and road repairs go to the town’s public works and highway crew.
- Show up: the Select Board meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month at 5:00 pm at the Town Office Building, and the public is welcome.
Want to weigh in on a town decision? Learn how to contact your officials so they actually hear you.