Cody Haddad recieves almost 100% on Town Administrator Evaluation

Cody Haddad joined the town of Dartmouth as the Town Administrator just under one year ago. Members of the Select Board gave him a 3.864 out of four on his Town Administrator Evaluation for his work with finances, and gave him both a pay raise and a one-time bonus for his dedication. 

The Select Board reviewed their thoughts on Haddad during the Monday, June 15 meeting. 

They reviewed him based on the financial health of the town, communication with visibility, service delivery and town efficiency. 

During his 11 months as the Town Administrator, Haddad saved the town millions of dollars, according to Select Board Chair Heidi Silva-Brooks. 

Brooks noted that since there isn’t currently an assistant town administrator, Haddad was doing the work of two people. 

“Cody did pull together some of our savings this year, where he has really had a direct influence,” she said. 

By making it so a town counsel is only hired when needed,Haddad saved the town $191,000. Now, if a problem is able to be handled with a department head rather than town counsel it is. 

He also was in charge of finding a new insurance option for town employees. He found a company that sells Blue Cross Blue Shield for organizations for a discount, meaning town employees could stay with their current providers for less. This saved the town $2 million, $1 million of which was put back into the insurance plan for a better plan. 

Haddad also worked with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protections to figure out how much the town had to pay for the cleaning of Bliss Corner. The MassDEP spent $28 million cleaning the area, but also used the space for contaminated soil storage and testing. 

The Town originally was on the hook for $500,000, but Haddad worked out a settlement for $50,000. 

“He’s taking the initiative,” said Select Board member Chris O’Neil. 

These financial savings were why the Select Board unanimously voted to give him a three percent pay raise and a one-time bonus of five percent of his Fiscal Year 26 pay. This is the first time in town history that the town administrator has received a bonus. 

When it comes to communicating with department heads, Brooks pointed out that Haddad does not make employees come to his office, instead visiting theirs. 

“The corner office comes down to talk to you,” said Select Board member Shawn McDonald. 

Brooks pointed out that by visiting the department head’s office, Haddad can get a better view of how to help the town. This also helps the department heads deliver on their missions. 

“I think we’ve accomplished a lot. I’m a piece of that, but it really takes a team,” said Haddad. “I love my job.” 

He added, “I love being here in Dartmouth, and I’m hopeful that I’m here for a while.”