Town Leadership
The Town Administrator’s Office
The Town Administrator
James J. Ferrera
When a road goes unplowed or a new project comes before the town, the person with the most operational control over the response is appointed, not elected. James J. Ferrera is the Town Administrator, hired by the three elected members of the Board of Selectmen 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 assists the board, carries out its policy directives, helps shape and present the annual budget, and works with the department heads who deliver services. Before coming to Warren, Ferrera worked for the Massachusetts Trial Court for seventeen years and served as an at-large member and President of the Springfield City Council, so he has sat on the elected side of a city government as well as the appointed side of a town’s. He keeps an open-door policy for any resident or business owner. Because Warren 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 Board of Selectmen under contract, not elected |
| Office | Charles E. Shepard Municipal Building, 48 High Street, Warren, MA 01083 |
| Phone | 413-436-5701 Ext. 107 |
| Website | warren-ma.gov |
What the Town Administrator Does
- Runs the departments. Police, fire, highway, health, and the rest answer to the Town Administrator, who works with the board on their leadership.
- Builds the budget. Each year the Administrator helps propose how the town will spend its money for the town and the schools, then defends that plan before the Board of Selectmen and Town Meeting, which holds the final vote.
- Answers to the board. The Administrator serves at the pleasure of the elected Board of Selectmen and carries out the policies it sets.
- Reports to Town Meeting. Major spending and bylaws still need the vote of Town Meeting, and in Warren 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 Board of Selectmen 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 Board of Selectmen, decide questions like zoning, conservation, and licensing.
Contact & Engage
- Town Hall: Charles E. Shepard Municipal Building, 48 High Street, Warren, MA 01083.
- Town Administrator’s Office: 413-436-5701 Ext. 107.
- Report a problem: potholes, broken lights, and road issues go to the Highway Department.
- Show up: the Board of Selectmen 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.