Town Leadership
The Town Administrator’s Office
The Town Administrator
Ray Purington
When a road goes unplowed after a Connecticut River valley snowstorm, or the town has to find the money to reroof its elementary school, the person with the most operational control over the response is appointed, not elected. Ray Purington is the Town Administrator, hired by the three elected members of the Selectboard 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 helps prepare and present the annual budget, oversees the daily work of the departments, and carries the town’s biggest spending requests to Town Meeting for the final vote. He is appointed by the Selectboard and serves under contract. Because Gill 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, where the whole town votes it up or down.
| Role | Town Administrator (chief administrative officer) |
|---|---|
| Selection | Appointed by the Selectboard under contract, not elected |
| Office | Town Hall, 325 Main Road, Gill, MA 01354 |
| Phone | 413-863-9347 |
| Website | gillmass.org |
What the Town Administrator Does
- Runs the departments. Police, fire, highway, health, and the rest answer through the Town Administrator for their day-to-day work.
- Builds the budget. Each year the Administrator helps prepare how the town will spend its money, then defends that plan before the Selectboard and Town Meeting, which holds the final vote.
- Answers to the board. The Administrator serves at the pleasure of the elected Selectboard and carries out the policies it sets.
- Reports to Town Meeting. Major spending and bylaws still need the vote of Town Meeting, and in Gill that means every registered voter who walks in.
The Administration
- Department heads carry out policy, from plowing snow to inspecting septic systems.
- The Selectboard 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 Selectboard, decide questions like zoning, conservation, and licensing.
Contact & Engage
- Town Hall: 325 Main Road, Gill, MA 01354.
- Town Administrator’s Office: 413-863-9347.
- Report a problem: potholes, downed trees, and plowing go to the Highway Department at 413-863-2324.
- Show up: the Selectboard meets every other Monday evening 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.