Town Leadership
The Shirley Town Administrator’s Office
The Town Administrator
Bryan Sawyer
When a road goes unplowed or a permit stalls, the person with the most day-to-day control over the response is appointed, not elected. Bryan Sawyer is Shirley’s Town Administrator, hired by the three elected members of the Select Board to run the town, and they can let him go if they lose confidence in him. He is the chief administrative officer: he 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 Shirley hands the daily machinery to an appointed administrator, the plan to fix a problem usually crosses his desk first, then goes to the board, then to Town Meeting. Reach the office at 7 Keady Way, 978-425-2600 Ext. 200.
| Role | Town Administrator (chief administrative officer) |
|---|---|
| Selection | Appointed by the Select Board under contract, not elected |
| Office | Town Offices, 7 Keady Way, Shirley, MA 01464 |
| Phone | 978-425-2600 Ext. 200 |
| Website | shirley-ma.gov |
What the Town Administrator Does
- Runs the departments. Police, fire, public works, health, recreation, and the rest report up through the Town Administrator, who oversees their daily operation.
- 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 Shirley that means every registered voter who walks in.
The Administration
- Department heads carry out policy, from plowing snow to inspecting food service, and report through the Administrator’s office.
- The Select Board 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 Select Board, decide questions like zoning, conservation, and licensing.
Contact & Engage
- Town Offices: 7 Keady Way, Shirley, MA 01464.
- Town Administrator’s Office: 978-425-2600 Ext. 200.
- Report a problem: potholes, broken lights, and missed pickups go to the Department of Public Works.
- Show up: the Select Board meets every other Monday at 6 p.m. at the Town Offices, and the public is welcome.
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