Town Leadership
The Boxford Town Administrator’s Office
The Town Administrator
Matthew Coogan
When a road goes unplowed or a permit stalls, the person with the most operational control over the response is appointed, not elected. Matthew Coogan is the Town Administrator, 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 appoints 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. He is appointed by the Select Board and serves under contract. Because Boxford 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. That structure is deliberate. It lets a small town of about 8,200 people run a full set of departments with professional management, while the biggest decisions stay with the residents in the meeting hall. If you want something changed in Boxford, the Administrator’s office is often where the practical work begins, and the Select Board and Town Meeting are where it becomes official.
| Role | Town Administrator (chief administrative officer) |
|---|---|
| Selection | Appointed by the Select Board under contract, not elected |
| Office | Town Hall, 7A Spofford Road, Boxford, MA 01921 |
| Phone | 978-887-6000 |
| Website | boxfordma.gov |
What the Town Administrator Does
- Runs the departments. Police, fire, public works, health, and the rest answer to the Town Administrator, who helps appoint and supervise their leaders.
- Builds the budget. Each year the Administrator proposes how the town will spend its money for the town and the schools, 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 Boxford that means every registered voter who walks in.
The Administration
- Department heads carry out policy, from plowing snow to inspecting septic systems.
- 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 Hall: 7A Spofford Road, Boxford, MA 01921.
- Town Administrator’s Office: 978-887-6000.
- Report a problem: potholes, broken lights, and missed pickups go to the Department of Public Works.
- Show up: the Select Board meets on its published calendar at Town Hall, and the public is welcome.
Want to weigh in on a town decision? Learn how to contact your officials so they actually hear you.
MassCivics last checked this page on September 24, 2026.
Sources
- Town records: Town of Boxford, Town Administrator, as of September 14, 2026.