Dartmouth welcomes back Cody Haddad as town administrator

A familiar face is returning to Dartmouth and will be taking on the town administrator position starting Monday, July 28.

The Dartmouth Select Board voted unanimously to offer the position to Cody Haddad, current town administrator in Halifax, and contract negotiations have been completed.

The town has been without a permanent town administrator since Shawn MacInnes’ departure in June 2024. For the last year, Assistant Town Administrator Chris Vitale, and Director of Budget and Finance Gary Carriero have served in the interim. 

The role was previously offered to Bridget Almon, director of finance in Fall River, at the end of the year, but the Select Board rescinded its offer after failed negotiations. Though the board sought to begin their search from scratch, seeking a new search firm, Haddad’s application has sped up that process.

Haddad has led the town of Halifax for the last two years, but prior to this, he worked for the town of Dartmouth, serving as assistant town administrator from July 2022 to January 2023 under MacInnes. His work in town began in 2019 as an administrative analyst and acting energy manager and in August 2020, he became director of development and grants.

During his interview with the Select Board Monday, April 28, Haddad answered questions collected from both the board and town staff which addressed experience, communication, work style and specifics of the position.

In regard to his leadership style, Haddad stressed the importance of visibility and availability. He said although it may sound cliché, he believes in having an open-door policy. 

However, he noted he always takes it a step further and makes a conscious effort to go to all town offices, have in-person meetings and, in general, develop relationships with staff. He highlighted a recent barbecue he hosted for his staff in Halifax as an example.

“I think just being physically present, getting out there and speaking to everyone is the best way to do that,” he said.

Haddad added this work can also be crucial when it comes to team building and avoiding conflicts. He emphasized the importance of getting staff involved, especially those from a wide-variety of backgrounds, in discussions where they may not necessarily be initially thought of to include. 

Having an understanding of who his employees are and what their goals are allows him to recognize staff who may be able to benefit a discussion and assist them in building a successful work environment. 

When it comes to these discussions, Haddad said he always lets everyone else give their input first to ensure they are heard and know that their opinions matter. Employees need to feel valued, he added, which is why providing explanations behind the decisions made has been vital.

This is what Haddad would like to accomplish in his first 90 days, he said — establish trust, acclimate back into the community and gain an understanding of the town’s priorities and biggest challenges.

While in Halifax, the town faced a number of budgetary challenges, especially in regard to their schools, which are regionalized. He described how working with two other communities can be difficult, but they were able to create a group to address many of the issues early on, which avoided a multi-million dollar deficit and kept all three communities from needing tax overrides.

Another budget problem Haddad and his team tackled in Halifax was in regard to their solid waste programs as funds had begun to dry up and they needed to go out to bid for a new contract. He said within his first few months there, he was able to put together a group that reviewed everything and won one of the best solid waste contracts in the state and gained a large positive in retained earnings. 

Addressing concerns in the board’s line of questioning, Haddad spoke on the importance of having a “solid” capital plan in Dartmouth that is consistently updated to keep up with long-term planning.

He noted there are a number of projects he’d like to see through and help the town with its budgetary constraints.

“With the financial challenges lying ahead, not just for Dartmouth, but for really Massachusetts communities … we want to keep taxes as low as possible, but increasing your taxes by 2.5% — it doesn’t cut it anymore unless you have significant new growth,” Haddad said.

When it comes to balancing economic growth with preserving the environment, he said it is important to look back on the documents the town has already created that reflect the desires and priorities of the community.

He emphasized the importance of community feedback and keeping the town informed. 

In Halifax, Haddad has been hosting “Cody’s Corner,” a monthly show that provides an update to the community, highlighting department heads and providing information on pressing issues.

Though he said he has loved his job and feels he’s succeeding, Haddad said he sees Dartmouth as a “special place” and having familiarity already with the town, he’s looking forward to dealing with its diverse set of issues. 

“If I’m successful, that means the community is successful and I have no interest going in somewhere where that’s not going to be the case,” he said.

“Chris [Vitale] and Gary [Carreiro] have done a phenomenal job,” he added, noting he looks forward to working with them and hearing what direction they believe the town should be going.

Select Board Chair Heidi Silva Brooks said, “The things we heard tonight, and I’m going to speak for myself, were things that I really feel the town of Dartmouth is in need of [in regard to] the leadership you discussed and so those big shoes that you created tonight, you will start to fill on July 28.”