Located on the Main Floor of the Town Hall, Room 27

Phone: 781-762-1240
Fax: 781-278-3000

Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 - 4:00

John J. Carroll, General Manager  x101
Bernard Cooper, Asst.General Manager x102
Debra Melcher, Executive Secretary  x103
Christina Kenefick,  Administrative Secretary x104
Dorothy Prevoir, Switchboard/Receptionist x100

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The General Manager is appointed by the Board of Selectment and  is charged with the management of most operating departments of the Town.  The General Managers office also directs most purchasing and contract activiites for all Town departmets along with acting as as a clearing house for information and inquiries about town services.

Sections of the Norwood Town Charter dealing with the powers, duties, and responsibilities of the General Manager (Charter enacted 2S Chapter 197, Acts of 1914)

Section 8. The selectmen elected as provided in section two shall appoint, as soon as practicable, a general manager who shall be the administrative head of all departments of the town government, the conduct of which is by the general laws and by this act placed upon the selectmen of said town, except as provided otherwise in this act. Said general manager shall be subject to the direction and supervision and shall hold office at the will of the selectmen, and shall be a person specially fitted by education, training or experience to perform the duties of said office, and shall be appointed without regard to his political belief, and he may or may not be a resident of the town of Norwood when appointed. He shall be responsible for the efficient administration of all departments within the scope of his duties. Before entering upon the duties of his office, the general manager shall be sworn to the faithful and impartial performance thereof by the chairman of the selectmen, or by the town clerk and accountant, or by a justice of the peace. He shall execute a bond in favor of the town for the faithful performance of his duties in such sum and with such surety or sureties as may be fixed or approved by the selectmen.

Section 9. The powers and duties of the general manager shall include the following:-
(a) To organize, continue or discontinue such divisions or departments from time to time as may be determined by vote of the selectmen, or in the absence of such vote, as may be determined by said general manager to be required for the efficient conduct of his office;
(b) To appoint upon merit and fitness alone, and, except as herein otherwise provided, to remove all superintendents or chiefs of departments and all subordinate officers and employees in such departments, and to fix all salaries and wages of all subordinates and employees, subject to law. The superintendents or chiefs of departments shall not be removed by the general manager, except on five days' notice in writing, which shall state the cause of such removal;
(c) To exercise control over all such departments or divisions so created, or that may hereafter be created, which shall be made subject to the supervision of said general manager;
(d) To attend all regular meetings of the selectmen, and to recommend to the selectmen for adoption such measures requiring action by them or by the town, as he may deem necessary or expedient;
(e) To keep full and complete record of the doings of his office, and to render as often as may be required by the selectmen, a full report of all operations during the period reported on; and annually, or oftener if required by the selectmen, to make a synopsis of all reports for publication;
(f) To keep the selectmen fully advised as to the needs of the town within the scope of his duties and to furnish the selectmen on or before the thirty-first day of December of each year a careful, detailed estimate in writing of the appropriations required during the next ensuing fiscal year for the proper conduct of all departments of the town under his control;
(g) To keep in repair the Morill memorial library and all schools and other town buildings, and to purchase all supplies for every department of the town, and purchase of supplies for departments over which the general manager has no control shall be made only upon request of said departments or their authorized representative;
(h) To perform such other duties, consistent with his office, as may be required of him by the by-laws of the town or by vote of the selectmen;
(i) To have the control and supervision of the department of police of the town, subject, however, to the direction of the selectmen; and the appointment or removal of the chief or head of said police department shall not be subject to the civil service laws of the commonwealth, but shall be made in accordance with the provisions of this act.

Section 11. The selectmen, by a majority vote, may remove the general manager by filing a written statement with the town clerk and accountant setting forth in detail the specific reasons for his removal, a copy of which statement shall be delivered or mailed to said general manager. Such removal shall not take effect, however, until the expiration of five days from the filing of said statement with the town clerk and accountant; but if so recited in said statement the general manager shall be suspended forthwith from his said office. If the general manager so requests within said five-day period, a hearing shall be given him by the selectmen, and in such event the removal of said general manager shall not take effect until a written decision following said hearing shall have been filed with the town clerk and accountant. Such decision by a majority of the selectmen shall be final.

Section 12. Any vacancy in the office of general manager shall be filled as soon as possible by the selectmen. Pending the appointment of a general manager or the filling of any vacancy, the selectmen may appoint a person to perform temporarily the duties of said office.

Section 13. The powers, duties and liabilities now conferred and imposed upon the trustees of the Morill memorial library with respect to the repair of said library and with respect to the purchase of supplies therefor, except books, are hereby withdrawn from said trustees and conferred and imposed upon the selectmen, and the exercise of said powers and the performance of said duties shall be delegated by the selectmen to the general manager, as provided in this act. It shall be the duty of said trustees to notify the selectmen when repairs and supplies are required and said repairs shall be made and supplies furnished upon proper requisition therefor.

Section 14. The powers, duties and liabilities now conferred and imposed upon the school committee with respect to the repair of all school buildings and the purchase of supplies therefor, except books, are hereby withdrawn from said school committee and conferred and imposed upon the selectmen, and the exercise of said powers and the performance of said duties shall be delegated by the selectmen to the general manager, as provided in this act. It shall be the duty of said school committee to notify the selectmen when repairs and supplies are required, and such repairs shall be made and supplies furnished upon proper requisition therefor.

Section 15. The general manager, the assessors, and the town clerk and accountant shall each receive such salary as may be fixed by the selectmen, unless otherwise specifically voted by the town.

Section 16. At the first annual meeting after the adoption of this act, the voters of the town shall elect by ballot from among their number five persons who shall serve and be known as the finance commission who shall hold office, two for the term of three years, two for the term of two years, and one for the term of one year from the date of said annual meeting. At each annual meeting thereafter there shall be elected in place of those finance commissioners whose terms are about to expire an equal number of finance commissioners, each to serve for three years. The members of the finance commission shall serve until successors are elected and qualified and shall not receive any salary. During the term for which they are chosen they shall be ineligible, to any town office other than that for which they have been chosen, nor shall they, during such term, hold any other such office; provided, however, they may serve as representative town meeting members.
Amended Sept. 7, 1973
Amended July 18,1989

TOWN OF NORWOOD
GENERAL MANAGERS