Sheffield Select Board Welcomes New Town Administrator on His First Day

SHEFFIELD -- July 6, 2026, Sheffield installs a new town administrator and absorbs four resignations in a single July 6 session. Doug Newton, a Watertown veteran with a master's in public administration, began his first day as Sheffield's town administrator, succeeding a predecessor who served roughly six years and will remain available in an advisory role. The Select Board, meeting with what appeared to be a two-member quorum, accepted resignations from Police Officers Caden Shafirov and Matthew Mercier, Treasurer-Collector staffer Shawna Roche (departing for Stockbridge), School Committee member Bonnie Silvers (who stayed through budget approval before stepping down), and Cultural Council member Judith Reinauer, approving letters of thanks in each case. The board made four FY2027 appointments, Kathy Orlando to the Agricultural Commission, Megan Lawrence to the Cultural Council, Nadine Howard to the Planning Board, and Pat Levine to the Zoning Board of Appeals, and approved a National Grid utility pole permit and a residential curb cut at 246 County Road. Resident Tate Collins presented a privately funded proposal for a freeze-resistant Main Street hydration station estimated at $7,500 to $11,000, which the board praised but sent back for more design and cost detail before any formal action.