Town Administrator

Duties and Responsibilities

The Town Administrator serves as the chief administrative officer of the town in accordance with section 1024 of the town charter.  The position is appointed by the Board of Selectmen and manages the town's employees as well as the day-to-day operations of the town.   While the Town Administrator works in collaboration with the Board of Education, the Board and superintendent of schools maintain full responsibility for the employees, policies, and operations of the town's school system.

Matthew Reed began his role as Ellington's first Town Administrator on August 14, 2023. Mr. Reed worked as a police officer in South Windsor for 28 years and served as their chief of police. Additionally, he worked as a labor and employment law attorney for a private Hartford law firm, as attorney and hearing officer for the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission (FOIC), and as a staff attorney for the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP).

History of the Position

The Town Administrator position was instituted in 2023 and was the result of significant contemplation by town leaders. The Board of Selectmen established the Ad Hoc Government Study Committee on February 10, 2020; their charge was to gather information about the different forms of municipal government in Connecticut and to make a recommendation to the Board of Selectmen regarding possible changes to Ellington's government structure. Over the next year, the Committee met and deliberated on the prospect of creating a Town Administrator or Town Manager position. In early 2021, the Committee completed their work and forwarded their report and recommendations to the Selectmen.

The recommendation included the suggested hiring of a full-time Town Administrator to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Town. It was further recommended that the First Selectman position be relieved of daily management responsibilities and scaled back to part-time hours. The goal of the new Town Administrator position is to ensure consistency and continuity of Ellington's administrative operations. Pursuant to Ellington's charter, the First Selectman remains the CEO of the Town and the Town Administrator reports to the First Selectman. The Board of Selectman retains overarching policy-making authority for the Town while the Town Meeting retains its legislative authority.

Public Hearings on the creation of the Town Administrator position were held on February 28, 2022 and August 8, 2022. At a special Town Meeting held on May 8, 2023, the creation of the Town Administrator position was approved by those citizens in attendance. On July 10, 2023, after a thorough application, review and interview process, Matthew Reed of South Windsor was selected as Ellington's first Town Administrator.