Town Leadership
The Lincoln Town Administrator’s Office
The Town Administrator
Timothy S. Higgins
When a road goes unplowed or a new building rises off Lincoln Road, the person with the most operational control over the response is appointed, not elected. Timothy S. Higgins is the Town Administrator, hired by the three elected members of the Select Board 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 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. Because Lincoln has no mayor and no council, this office is where the daily machinery of the town is actually run, and where a plan to fix a problem usually starts before it reaches the board and then Town Meeting. The office also includes an Assistant Town Administrator, Daniel Pereira, who shares the day to day management of town business. The important thing for a resident to understand is the split: the Administrator carries out policy, but he does not set it and he cannot spend money Town Meeting has not voted. That keeps the biggest decisions in the hands of the voters who show up.
| Role | Town Administrator (chief administrative officer) |
|---|---|
| Selection | Appointed by the Select Board under contract, not elected |
| Office | Town Offices, 16 Lincoln Road, First Floor, Lincoln, MA 01773 |
| Phone | 781-259-2600 |
| Website | lincolntown.org |
What the Town Administrator Does
- Runs the departments. Police, fire, public works, 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, 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 Lincoln 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 Offices: 16 Lincoln Road, Lincoln, MA 01773.
- Town Administrator’s Office: 781-259-2600.
- Report a problem: potholes, broken lights, and missed pickups go to the Department of Public Works.
- Show up: the Select Board meets twice a month on Monday evenings, and the public is welcome.
Want to weigh in on a town decision? Learn how to contact your officials so they actually hear you.