Town Administrator Garvin Received 2% Salary Merit Increase … Then Gave It Back

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Photo: Patrice Garvin

After the Belmont Select Board gave for the second year running an outstanding work performance review to Town Administrator Patrice Garvin, the three member board on Monday, Sept. 15, provided a two percent merit increase to Garvin, totalling $4,681.80.

After hearing the announcement, Garvin quickly gave the amount back to the town.

What?

No, it wasn’t part of an elberate protest on her part or, as one online critic suggested, an attempt by her not to enter a higher tax bracket. In fact, Garvin redirected her increase to help support a town non-union Employee Recognition Program to be run by the town’s Human Resources Department. The funds will awarded to staffers for outstanding work and innvoation that improves the town’s operations.

“That’s incredibly generous, and I think it shows a lot about you as a leader to who watches out for her staff,” said Matt Taylor, Board Chair.

“You have high standards and do a lot with a little. And this is a very generous way to give a bit back to other employees as well. I admire you a lot for this,” said Taylor.

Garvin accepted a $229,500 annual salary in March, 2025 as part of a financial package to counter an opportunity to take over the head administrator post in Danvers.

“I love what I do,” Garvin told the board. “I love working with the board to solve problems that come up. Sometimes it feels like there’s more problems and solutions. We take it day by day, and I hope to just improve the town in small increments every day I come to work. It’s about doing what’s best for the town.”

As for the performance review conducted by Belmont’s HR Director Kelley King who created an executive summary from answers to a questionaire on Garvin’s overall job performance. And just like last year’s review, Garvin knocked it out of the park, earning the top score of five out of five from the board, “reflecting her outstanding leadership, professionalism and dedication,” said Kelley.

“[Garvin] consistently demonstrates integrity, resilience and creativity, effectively managing complex issues while maintaining a positive and collabrative approach with staff, the Select Board and the community,” said King.

The review noted Garvin’s work on maintaining balance budgets while helping to create a revenue-based annual budget process, improved organizational efficiency such as incorporating the Council of Aging into a newly-created Human Services Department, enhancing municipal services during a time of fiscal constrains, while using out-of-the-box approach to provide needed assets, e.g., securing $1 million from in-town non-profits and the town’s electric utility to provide a solar array for the Belmont Sports Complex which will house the town’s skating rink.

“Garvin’s expertise, problem solving skills and commitment to make her an invaluable asset to Belmont and a driving force behind the town’s continued success,” said King.

Board members praised Garvin after the review.

Elizabeth Dionne said most of the “public do not see what she does behind the scenes. They do not appreciate how much work she does.”

“I don’t know if this … officially shows up in the job description but you’re kind of like our problem solver,” said Taylor. “Something comes up and we need someone to ramp up on that quickly and figure it out because there isn’t a playbook for it. You’ve done that multiple times,” Taylor told Garvin.

Garvin Receives High Praise From Select Board In Annual Review, 3% Merit Pay Increase (And Told To Take A Vaca!)

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Photo: Belmont Town Administrator Patrice Garvin

It’s not usual in an annual job review that the person is told to take a vacation. But that was Elizabeth Dionne’s recommendation to Belmont Town Administrator Patrice Garvin during the Select Board’s annual performance assessment on Monday, Sept. 25.

“Take more vacation time!” wrote Dionne in her evaluation of Garvin, who is nearing six years as the town’s chief administrative officer. “I am very concerned about burnout [as Belmont has] been in crisis mode for a long time and Patrice has provided a steady hand at the tiller.”

Being scolded for not taking more off was as harsh a criticism the town administrator received as Garvin’s Select Board bosses gave her high marks for the work she performed over the past fiscal year.

“I have the highest regard for Patrice,” said Board Chair Roy Epstein. “Not everyone in Belmont realizes the demands put upon the town administrator, and how difficult it is to be successful in this role.”

The board was in sync ranking Garvin with nearly identical evaluations of her performance for the past year. Garvin received the top mark of five on a scale ranging from 0 to 5 in five of eight categories – personal character characteristics, professionalism, Select Board support and relations, organizational leadership and personal management, and financial management. Her lowest ranking was in public relations with an average of 4. Her overall score was 4.79/5.

The board’s written evaluations were equally united in their plaudits for Garvin’s execution of her job.

“She is extraordinarily devoted and tireless in her efforts to make the town run well for the residents and employees. I observe this every day and believe she is one of the foremost practitioners in her field,” said Epstein.

“She continues to provide highly effective and dedicated support to members of the Select Board,” said Mark Paolillo. “She has built a strong financial team and has strong financial skills that resulted in a balanced fiscal year 2024 budget that addressed many of the service gaps and needs within our town. areas of improvement.”

“[Garvin] is not afraid of change,” said the Board Vice Chair Dionne. “She is not threatened by strong people around her, and she is tough and resilient. You can learn a lot about someone from the people she hires. Patrice obviously has solid and well-deserved calm self-confidence. As a result, she has surrounded herself by smart and capable people, creating a truly impressive leadership team.”

Dionne said she personally feels Patrice, as “a strong female leader,” receives “criticism from employees, unions, and certain members of the public that might not be leveled against a male in the same role. The Select Board must be more active in providing her with visible support and political cover.”

Garvin thanked the board for their continued support for her leadership in running the town’s daily operations. “The fact that you scored me similarly tells me that I’m doing the same thing for each of you, which is I couldn’t be more proud of that I serve you as the board,” told the board Garvin at Monday’s meeting. Garvin praised the team she has built in her six years.

“I can’t tell you the work that we’ve been able to do in a short time. It’s been amazing,” she said. “I continue to look at ways to improve the town, departments, and the staff. I really enjoy working in Belmont, and I hope to continue.”

The review was followed by the board approving a three percent merit increase, with Garvin’s annual salary increased to $212,384 effective at the start of the 2024 fiscal year on July 1. Epstein said Garvin’s salary is slightly lower than the average of comparative towns and cities in the region.

Garvin’s contract expires in January 2027.

Garvin Gets High Performance Marks From Belmont Select Board, 2.5 Percent Merit Increase Approved

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Photo: Patrice Garvin at Monday’s Select Board meeting

As the town prepares to move forward with historic changes to its budget process and governmental structure, Belmont’s Chief Administrative Officer received top marks from the elected executive arm of the town during her annual performance review.

Each board member praised Town Administrator Patrice Garvin for her professionalism inside Town Hall and among residents and her fiscal leadership, for which the board gave her its highest marks.

“Her opinion is always valued, her financial insight is always detailed, and her view is always on what is best for Belmont,” wrote Select Board member Adam Dash. “She is a great Town Administrator, and Belmont would be worse off without her.”

Responding to the review, Garvin told the board that she sees it “as a privilege to come and work for the town of Belmont every day.” Noting that she could not do her job with her “amazing” staff and department heads, Garvin said there is “mutual trust and respect for each other, and it goes a long way” when some departments are “really bare bones” in staffing.

“As you know, that can be challenging … but I always keep in the back of my head that what I’m doing is for the residents. It’s not for myself. So I leave my ego at the door, and I keep working.”

According to Human Resources Director Shawna Healey, Garvin’s performance review consisted of self-evaluation and a number-based performance evaluation on all aspects of her role as the town’s chief administrative officer. After calculating the board’s ratings on several categories, including personal characteristics, professionalism, her relationship with the board, and organizational leadership, Garvin received an overall rating of 4.67 out of 5.

Last year, amid Covid-19-related restrictions and budget constraints, Garvin received a 4.16 rating.

If there was one area, the board noted her expertise was in financial management, which each member rated her as a ‘5’ in the category’s six subsets.

“Patrice is an expert financial manager,” wrote Roy Epstein. “The [fiscal year] ’24 budget process will be a critical test of her abilities. Simple and clear communication with the public on these topics is also very important.”

Galvin’s lowest ratings came in the Public Relations/Communications category, with a need to be more effective in transmitting the goals and aims of the town to the public.

Saying that Garvin should remember to emphasize her own professional development, Dash noted while he “appreciates her frank and direct approach, sometimes a softer response would work better.”

The board approved a 2.5 percent merit increase at Monday’s meeting, in line with what the police and fire chiefs recently received as part of their reviews, said Healey. The merit increase is retroactive to July 1, the same date as a 2 percent cost of living adjustment. Garvin’s current annual salary after the two adjustments is $202,156.