Town Leadership
The Town Administrator’s Office
The Town Administrator
Andrew Levine
When a road goes unplowed or a water main breaks on a winter night, the person with the most operational control over the response is appointed, not elected. Andrew Levine is Hatfield’s Town Administrator, hired by the three elected members of the Select Board to run the town day to day, and answerable to them for how it goes. He is the town’s chief administrative officer. He carries out the policies the board sets, helps prepare the agendas and articles that go before the Select Board and Town Meeting, and works with the Finance Committee and the department heads to build the annual budget the town will vote. He is often the first point of contact for a resident with a problem that crosses more than one department, and he coordinates the offices so a request does not fall between them. Because Hatfield hands the daily machinery to an appointed administrator rather than to an elected mayor, the plan to fix a problem usually crosses his desk first, then goes to the board for policy and to Town Meeting for the money. The office is small, so the Administrator is close to the work: the same person who negotiates a contract may be the one who returns your call about a permit. Levine serves under a contract with the Select Board, which reviews his work and can end that contract, so the check on the office is the same board that residents elect.
| Role | Town Administrator (chief administrative officer) |
|---|---|
| Selection | Appointed by the Select Board under contract, not elected |
| Office | Hatfield Memorial Town Hall, 59 Main Street, Hatfield, MA 01038 |
| Phone | (413) 247-9200 Ext. 7 |
| Website | townofhatfield.org |
What the Town Administrator Does
- Runs the departments. Public works, water, police, fire, health, and the rest of the town offices coordinate through the Town Administrator’s office.
- Builds the budget. Each year the Administrator works with the Finance Committee and department heads to propose how the town will spend its money, then defends that plan before the Select Board and Town Meeting, which holds the final vote.
- Answers to the board. The Administrator serves under contract to 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 Hatfield that means every registered voter who walks in.
The Administration
- Department heads carry out policy day to day, from plowing snow to inspecting buildings.
- The Select Board is the check: it hires and can release 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: Hatfield Memorial Town Hall, 59 Main Street, Hatfield, MA 01038.
- Town Administrator’s Office: (413) 247-9200 Ext. 7.
- Report a problem: potholes, hydrants, and road issues go to the Department of Public Works.
- Show up: the Select Board meets every other Tuesday 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.