Town Leadership
The Town Administrator’s Office
The Town Administrator
Michael Canales
When a road goes unplowed or a permit stalls, the person with the most operational control over the response is appointed, not elected. Michael Canales 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 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. He is appointed by the Select Board and serves under contract. Because Stockbridge hands the daily machinery to an appointed administrator, the plan to fix a problem usually crosses his 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 | Town Offices, 50 Main Street, PO Box 417, Stockbridge, MA 01262 |
| Phone | 413-298-4170 ext. 100 |
| Website | stockbridge-ma.gov |
What the Town Administrator Does
- Runs the departments. Police, fire, public works, the Council on Aging, and the rest answer to the Town Administrator, who oversees their day-to-day work.
- 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 Stockbridge that means every registered voter who walks in.
The Administration
- Department heads carry out policy, from plowing snow to inspecting buildings, under the Town Administrator.
- 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: 50 Main Street, PO Box 417, Stockbridge, MA 01262.
- Town Administrator’s Office: 413-298-4170 ext. 100.
- Report a problem: potholes, broken lights, and missed pickups go to the Department of Public Works.
- Show up: the Select Board meets on the first and third Thursday evenings at the Town Offices, and the public is welcome.
Want to weigh in on a town decision? Learn how to contact your officials so they actually hear you.