Town Leadership
The Town Administrator’s Office
The Town Administrator
S. Peter Kane
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. S. Peter Kane is the Town Administrator, hired by the three elected members of the Selectboard 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 oversees the departments, 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 Selectboard and serves under contract. Because Whately 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 Selectboard under contract, not elected |
| Office | Town Offices, 4 Sandy Lane, Whately, MA 01373 |
| Phone | (413) 665-4400 ext. 1 |
| Website | whately.org |
What the Town Administrator Does
- Runs the departments. Police, fire, highway, health, recreation, and the rest answer to the Town Administrator and the Selectboard.
- Builds the budget. Each year the Administrator proposes how the town will spend its money for the town and the schools, then defends that plan before the Selectboard and Town Meeting, which holds the final vote.
- Answers to the board. The Administrator serves at the pleasure of the elected Selectboard and carries out the policies it sets.
- Reports to Town Meeting. Major spending and bylaws still need the vote of Town Meeting, and in Whately that means every registered voter who walks in.
The Administration
- Department heads carry out policy, from plowing snow to inspecting septic systems. An Assistant Town Administrator, Jessica Murphy, supports the office day to day.
- The Selectboard 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 Selectboard, decide questions like zoning, conservation, and licensing.
Contact & Engage
- Town Offices: 4 Sandy Lane, Whately, MA 01373.
- Town Administrator’s Office: (413) 665-4400 ext. 1, townadmin@whately.org.
- Report a problem: potholes, drainage, and plowing go to the Highway and Buildings Department at (413) 665-2983.
- Show up: the Selectboard meets Wednesday 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.