Town Leadership
The Town Administrator’s Office
The Town Administrator
Jeff Nutting, Interim Town Administrator
When a road goes unplowed or a new house rises on a back lot, the person with the most operational control over the response is appointed, not elected. Jeff Nutting holds the post of Town Administrator on an interim basis, hired by the three 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 oversees the department heads, shapes and presents the annual budget, and carries the town’s biggest spending requests to Town Meeting for the final vote. He serves under contract to the Select Board. Because Berlin 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. An interim administrator holds the same authority as a permanent one while the board runs its search for a lasting appointment.
| Role | Interim Town Administrator (chief administrative officer) |
|---|---|
| Selection | Appointed by the Select Board under contract, not elected |
| Office | Town Office Building, 23 Linden Street, Berlin, MA 01503 |
| Phone | 978-310-5919 |
| Website | townofberlin.com |
What the Town Administrator Does
- Runs the departments. Police, fire, highway, health, the library, and the rest answer up to the Town Administrator, who coordinates their work for the Select Board.
- 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 Berlin that means every registered voter who walks in.
The Administration
- Department heads carry out policy day to day, from plowing snow to inspecting restaurants, and coordinate through the Town Administrator’s office.
- The Select Board is the check: it hires and can fire 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 Offices: 23 Linden Street, Berlin, MA 01503.
- Town Administrator’s Office: 978-310-5919.
- Report a problem: potholes, broken lights, and downed limbs go to the Highway Department at 978-838-2898.
- Show up: the Select Board meets on its published calendar at the Town Offices, and the public is welcome.
Want to weigh in on a town decision? Learn how to contact your officials so they actually hear you.