Town Leadership
The Danvers Town Manager’s Office
The Town Manager
Jill Cahill
When a street in Danvers goes unplowed, a field stays locked, or a water main breaks, the official with the most control over the fix is appointed, not elected. Danvers’s chief administrator is the Town Manager, appointed by the five elected members of the Select Board and serving at the Board’s pleasure. Jill Cahill, hired in May 2025, holds the post. As Town Manager she appoints the department heads, submits the annual budget to the Select Board, and carries out the decisions of the Board and of Town Meeting. Police, fire, public works, health, parks, and the town’s own electric and water utilities all answer to her office; the Library and the Schools are the two departments outside it.
| Role | Town Manager (chief administrative officer) |
|---|---|
| Selection | Appointed by the Select Board, serving at its pleasure, not elected |
| Office | Danvers Town Hall, 1 Sylvan Street, Danvers, MA |
| Phone | 978-777-0001 ext. 3069 |
| Hours | Monday to Wednesday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to noon |
| Contact | danversma.gov online form |
What the Town Manager Does
- Runs the departments. Police, fire, public works, health, recreation, and the town’s own electric and water utilities answer to the Town Manager, who appoints the department heads. The Library and the Schools are the two departments outside the Manager’s office.
- Builds the budget. Each year the Town 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 Town 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 members elected from every precinct.
The Administration
- Department heads are appointed by the Town Manager and carry out policy, from plowing snow to inspecting restaurants.
- The Select Board appoints the Town Manager, who serves at its pleasure, sets policy, and grants the licenses and permits that shape daily life in town.
- Boards and commissions, many appointed by the Town Manager and some by the Select Board, decide questions like zoning, conservation, and licensing.
Contact & Engage
- Town Hall: 1 Sylvan Street, Danvers, MA. Main line 978-777-0001.
- Town Manager’s Office: 978-777-0001 ext. 3069, or the contact form at danversma.gov.
- Report a problem: service requests like potholes and missed pickups go through the town’s contact tools at danversma.gov.
- Show up: the Select Board meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Toomey Room 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 October 15, 2026.
Sources
- Town records: Town of Danvers, Calendar, Select Board Meeting, October 6, 2026, as of October 2026.
- Town records: Town of Danvers, Select Board, as of October 2026.
- Town records: Town of Danvers, Staff Directory, as of October 2026.
- Town records: Town of Danvers, Town Manager’s Office, as of October 2026.
- Town records: Town of Danvers, Town Meeting, as of September 2026.
- Town records: Town of Danvers, Your Government, as of August 2026.