Town Leadership
The Arlington Town Manager’s Office
The Town Manager
Jim Feeney
When a street goes unplowed or a new building rises near Alewife, the person with the most operational control is an appointed professional, not an elected official. Jim Feeney is the Town Manager, hired by the five elected members of the Select Board to run the town day to day, and they can let him go if they lose faith in him. He is the chief administrative officer: he hires and supervises most department heads, shapes and presents the annual budget, and carries the town’s biggest spending requests to Town Meeting for the final vote. Feeney came up through Arlington’s own town government, joining the staff in 2009 and serving as health compliance officer, interim facilities director through the pandemic, and assistant and then deputy town manager before the Select Board chose him to lead the town in August 2023. Because Arlington hands the daily machinery to an appointed manager, the plan to fix a problem usually crosses his desk first, then goes to the board and to Town Meeting.
| Role | Town Manager (chief administrative officer) |
|---|---|
| In office | Since August 2023 |
| Selection | Appointed by the Select Board under contract, not elected |
| Office | Town Hall Annex, 730 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA 02476 |
| Phone | 781-316-3010 |
| Website | arlingtonma.gov |
What the Town Manager Does
- Runs the departments. Police, fire, public works, health, recreation, and the rest answer to the Town Manager, who appoints most of their leaders.
- Builds the budget. Each year the Manager proposes how the town will spend its money, then defends that plan before the Select Board and Town Meeting.
- Answers to the board. The Manager 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 the representative Town Meeting, the 252 elected members.
The Administration
- Department heads are appointed by the Town Manager and carry out policy, from plowing snow to inspecting restaurants.
- The Select Board is the check: it hires and can fire the Manager, sets policy, and grants the licenses and approvals that shape the town.
- Boards and commissions, many of them appointed by the Town Manager or the Select Board, decide questions like zoning, conservation, and licensing.
Contact & Engage
- Town Hall: 730 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA 02476.
- Town Manager’s Office: 781-316-3010, jfeeney@town.arlington.ma.us.
- Report a problem: service requests like potholes and missed pickups go through Arlington’s Request/Answer Center at arlingtonma.gov.
- Show up: the Select Board meets on Monday evenings at Town Hall, and the public is welcome.
Sources
Arlington government website (arlingtonma.gov). Verified July 2026.
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MassCivics last checked this page on September 14, 2026.