Photo: Matt Haskell, Belmont Assistant Town Administrator

A well-known town employee is moving up into a prominent role in Town Hall.

“I want to announce, very happily, that I have appointed Matt Haskell as the new assistant town administrator,” said Patrice Garvin, Belmont’s town administrator, at Monday’s Select Board meeting, held remotely due to the two-day winter storm that blanketed Belmont with snow. 

Haskell takes over from Jennifer Hewitt, the town’s assistant town administrator/finance director, who left her position late last year.

Garvin noted that going forward, the assistant administrator’s post is now decoupled from the finance director’s role, which will become a separate position in Town Hall. The new Chief Financial Officer post required the elimination of a budget analyst. 

A staff member for nearly a decade, Haskell has held several positions in town, as the administrator for the Select Board, a budget analyst, and recently as the business manager for the DPW. Haskell also worked for the Community Preservation Committee, providing administrative support for all CPC projects.

“Matt holds a tremendous amount of knowledge of the town and will be an excellent addition to the leadership team,” said Garvin, who added that Haskell is currently training the new business manager over the next three months. 

“I like promoting from within,” Garvin told the board. “I like seeing and developing skill sets and potenital in employees. And Matt has been one of those employees that have been phenomenal and has grown in the years that he’s been here.”