Town Leadership
The Town Administrator’s Office
The Office of the Town Administrator
When a road goes unplowed or a new subdivision comes up for review, the person with the most operational control over the town’s response is appointed, not elected. The Town Administrator is Halifax’s chief administrative officer, hired by the three elected members of the Board of Selectmen to run the town day to day, and the board can let the administrator go if it loses confidence. The administrator appoints and supervises most department heads, shapes and presents the annual budget, and carries the town’s major spending requests to Town Meeting for the final vote. Because Halifax hands the daily machinery to an appointed administrator, the plan to fix a problem usually crosses that desk first, then goes to the board and to Town Meeting.
As of the summer of 2026 the office is between administrators. Steven Solbo served as Town Administrator from January 2026, and on July 30, 2026 the Board of Selectmen approved a mutual separation agreement ending his tenure. The board is choosing his successor, and the office’s phones and staff at Town Hall continue to answer in the meantime.
| Role | Town Administrator (chief administrative officer) |
|---|---|
| Selection | Appointed by the Board of Selectmen under contract, not elected |
| Office | Town Hall, Second Floor, 499 Plymouth Street, Halifax, MA 02338 |
| Phone | 781-294-1316 |
| Website | halifaxma.gov |
What the Town Administrator Does
- Runs the departments. Highway, health, building, conservation, the Council on Aging, and the rest answer to the Town Administrator, who appoints most of their leaders. Police and fire chiefs are hired with the board’s involvement.
- 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 Halifax that means every registered voter who walks in.
The Administration
- Department heads are appointed by the Town Administrator and carry out policy, from plowing snow to inspecting restaurants.
- The Board of Selectmen is the check: it hires and can dismiss 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: 499 Plymouth Street, Halifax, MA 02338.
- Board of Selectmen Office: 781-294-1316.
- Report a problem: potholes, fallen limbs, and plowing go to the Highway & Cemetery Department at 781-293-1760.
- Show up: the Board of Selectmen meets most Tuesday evenings 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.