Town Leadership
The Dighton Town Administrator’s Office
The Town Administrator
Ralph A. Vitacco
When a road goes unplowed, a grant needs writing, or a new project reaches Town Meeting, the person with the most day to day control over the town’s response is appointed, not elected. Ralph A. Vitacco is the Town Administrator, hired by the three elected members of the Board of Selectmen to run Dighton day to day, and they can let him go if they lose confidence in him. He is the town’s chief administrative officer. He directs the departments that report to the Board of Selectmen, supervises their staff, and hires most town employees who do not require a Selectmen appointment. He collects and reviews every department budget, advises the board on the town’s financial condition, and prepares the reports and articles the Selectmen carry to Town Meeting for the final vote. He administers the town’s personnel policies, represents Dighton in labor negotiations, and oversees the town’s grants, purchasing, and buildings. Because Dighton 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 then to Town Meeting for the money.
| Role | Town Administrator (chief administrative officer) |
|---|---|
| Selection | Appointed by the Board of Selectmen under contract, not elected |
| Office | Town Hall, 979 Somerset Avenue, Dighton, MA 02715 |
| Phone | 508-669-6431, option 1 |
| Website | dighton-ma.gov |
What the Town Administrator Does
- Runs the departments. Highway, health, building, accounting, the Council on Aging, and the rest of the offices under the Board of Selectmen answer to the Town Administrator, who supervises them and hires most of their staff.
- Builds the budget. Each year the Administrator collects and reviews every department’s spending request, advises the board on what the town can afford, and helps carry that plan to Town Meeting, which holds the final vote.
- Answers to the board. The Administrator serves under contract at the pleasure of the elected Board of Selectmen and carries out the policies it sets.
- Reports to Town Meeting. Major spending and bylaws still need the vote of Town Meeting, and in Dighton that means every registered voter who walks in.
The Administration
- Department heads carry out policy, from plowing snow to inspecting restaurants, and most of their staff are hired by the Town Administrator.
- The Board of Selectmen 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 Board of Selectmen, decide questions like zoning, conservation, and licensing.
Contact & Engage
- Town Hall: 979 Somerset Avenue, Dighton, MA 02715.
- Town Administrator’s Office: 508-669-6431, option 1.
- Report a problem: potholes, drainage, and road repairs go to the Highway Department.
- Show up: the Board of Selectmen meets at Old Town Hall on the second and fourth Wednesday, and the public is welcome.
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MassCivics last checked this page on October 15, 2026.
Sources
- Town records: Town of Dighton, Board of Selectmen, as of October 2026.
- Town records: Town of Dighton, Town Administrator, as of October 2026.