Town Government
Town Departments
Finding the Right Department
Most of what residents need from the town runs through a department, not an elected official: paying a bill, pulling a permit, reporting a problem, registering to vote. Every one of these department heads was appointed by the Town Manager under section 4 of the Town Manager Act, with the Select Board given twenty days’ notice of the terms, which is why none of their names appears on a ballot and why the Town Manager is the person the board holds responsible for all of them. The Town Clerk is the exception on this page, and it is a deliberate one: Hanover still elects that office.
The directory below covers the departments residents contact most, with the head the town names on its own pages. For the full list, hours, and staff, visit the town’s Departments and Offices page. Town Hall is at 550 Hanover Street.
Department Directory
| Town Clerk | Records, licenses, vital records, and elections. Town Clerk Catherine Harder-Bernier, elected town-wide. 781-826-5000, ext. 1079. |
|---|---|
| Public Works | Streets, water, snow plowing, facilities and the transfer station. Director of Public Works Kurt Kelley, at 495 Hanover Street. 781-826-3189. |
| Health | Inspections, clinics, and public health complaints. Director of Public Health and Health Agent Kim Dixon. 781-826-5000, ext. 1077. |
| Police | Public safety and non-emergency response. Chief of Police Timothy Kane, at 129 Rockland Street. 781-826-3231. |
| Fire | Fire suppression, prevention, ambulance and emergency management. Chief Jason Cavallaro, at 32 Center Street. 781-826-3151. |
| Community Services | One department covering the Council on Aging, Parks and Recreation and Veterans’ Services, at 665 Center Street. Director of Community Services Tammy Murray. 781-924-1913. |
| John Curtis Free Library | Books, databases, meeting rooms, and the Old Colony Library Network catalog. Library Director Virginia Johnson, at 534 Hanover Street. 781-826-2972. |
| Community Development and Municipal Inspections | Building permits, inspections, planning and zoning under one roof. CDMI Director and Assistant Town Manager Ann Lee. 781-826-5000, ext. 1078. |
| Planning | Staff to the elected Planning Board. Municipal Inspections Manager, Building Commissioner and Town Planner Joseph Stack. 781-826-5000, ext. 1016. |
| Conservation | Wetlands, rivers and town conservation land. Conservation Agent Sandra MacFarlane. 781-826-6505. |
| Finance | Budget, accounting, assessing and the town’s financial reporting. Interim Director of Finance and Director of Assessing Elaine Boidi. 781-826-5000, ext. 1075. |
| Treasurer and Collector | Tax bills, payments, payroll and the town’s debt. 781-826-5000, ext. 1083. |
| Veterans’ Services | Benefits, claims, and services for Hanover veterans and their families. Veteran Service Officer Terrence O’Keeffe, at 665 Center Street. 781-924-1913. |
Emergencies are 911, answered for Hanover by the Regional Old Colony Communications Center in Duxbury. The police non-emergency line is 781-826-3231 and the fire business line is 781-826-3151.
Town departments carry out state and local law. See how Massachusetts government connects to your town.