Town Leadership
The Town Administrator’s Office
The Town Administrator
Justine Caggiano
When a road goes unplowed or a permit stalls, the person with the most operational control over the response is appointed, not elected. Justine Caggiano is the Town Administrator, hired by the three elected members of the Select Board to run the town day to day, and the board can end that contract if it loses faith in the appointment. The Town Administrator is Hardwick’s chief administrative officer: the office appoints and supervises most department heads, shapes and presents the annual budget, and carries the town’s biggest spending requests to Town Meeting for the final vote. The role is appointed by the Select Board and serves under contract, never on a ballot. Because Hardwick hands the daily machinery to an appointed administrator, the plan to fix a problem usually crosses this desk first, then goes to the board and to Town Meeting.
| Role | Town Administrator (chief administrative officer) |
|---|---|
| Selection | Appointed by the Select Board under contract, not elected |
| Office | Myron E. Richardson Municipal Building, 307 Main Street, Gilbertville, MA 01031 |
| Phone | (413) 477-6197 Ext. 101 |
| Website | hardwick-ma.gov |
What the Town Administrator Does
- Runs the departments. Police, fire, highway, health, and the rest answer to the Town Administrator, who appoints most of their leaders.
- Builds the budget. Each year the Administrator proposes how the town will spend its money for the town and the schools, then defends that plan before the Select Board and Town Meeting, which holds the final vote.
- Answers to the board. The Administrator serves at the pleasure of the elected Select Board and carries out the policies it sets.
- Reports to Town Meeting. Major spending and bylaws still need the vote of Town Meeting, and in Hardwick 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 Select Board 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 Select Board, decide questions like zoning, conservation, and licensing.
Contact & Engage
- Town Hall: Myron E. Richardson Municipal Building, 307 Main Street, Gilbertville, MA 01031.
- Town Administrator’s Office: (413) 477-6197 Ext. 101.
- Report a problem: potholes, broken lights, and downed trees go to the Highway Department.
- Show up: the Select Board meets on its published calendar 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.