Town Leadership
The Freetown Town Administrator’s Office
The Town Administrator
Deborah L. Pettey
When a road goes unplowed or a new subdivision comes before the town, the person with the most operational control over the response is appointed, not elected. Deborah L. Pettey is the Town Administrator, hired by the three elected members of the Board of Selectmen to run the town day to day, and they can let her go if they lose faith in her. She is the chief administrative officer: she oversees and supports most department heads, shapes and presents the annual budget, and carries the town’s biggest spending requests to Town Meeting for the final vote. She is appointed by the Board of Selectmen and serves under contract. Because Freetown hands the daily machinery to an appointed administrator, the plan to fix a problem usually crosses her desk first, then goes to the board and to Town Meeting.
| Role | Town Administrator (chief administrative officer) |
|---|---|
| Selection | Appointed by the Board of Selectmen under contract, not elected |
| Office | Town Hall, 3 North Main Street, Assonet, MA 02702 |
| Phone | 508-644-2201 Ext. 1 |
| Website | freetownma.gov |
What the Town Administrator Does
- Runs the departments. Police, fire, the Highway Department, health, and the rest answer to the Town Administrator, who oversees most of their leaders.
- Builds the budget. Each year the Administrator proposes how the town will spend its money, then defends that plan before the Board of Selectmen and Town Meeting, which holds the final vote.
- Answers to the board. The Administrator serves 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 Freetown that means every registered voter who walks in.
The Administration
- Department heads carry out policy, from plowing snow to inspecting restaurants, and report up through 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: 3 North Main Street, Assonet, MA 02702.
- Town Administrator’s Office: 508-644-2201 Ext. 1.
- Report a problem: potholes, broken lights, and missed pickups go to the Highway Department.
- Show up: the Board of Selectmen meets on the first and third Monday evenings of most months 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.