Photo: Belmont Town Administrator Patrice Garvin
For the second year running, Belmont Town Administrator Patrice Garvin has rejected a merit pay increase voted by the Select Board after giving her an outstanding annual performance review.
“I want to thank the board for recognizing my hard work,” said Garvin of the 1.5 percent bump. “But I would like to let the board know that given the issues with the town in terms of the budgetary constraints, I’d like to waive that merit, have it stay within the salary reserve, and have it go towards police and fire negotiations.”
The increase comes out to approximately $3,300 that will placed in the salary reserve account to be used to fund new public safety contracts. Garvin’s annual salary was set in 2025 at $229,500.
This marks the third time Garvin has passed up a proposed pay hike in her nearly decade long tenure. She refused a two percent annual boost in pay in September 2025 with the funds then supporting the town’s non-union Employee Recognition Program. In June 2020, she nixed a two percent increase “in response to the significant budgetary shortfalls as a result of the unanticipated COVID-19 pandemic.”
“I think that is incredibly generous and thoughtful of you, Patrice,” said Board Chair Taylor Yates. “So thank you always for thinking of the entire organization.”
The Select Board’s latest recap of Garvin’s annual performance review was similar to past assessments: she’s doing an outstanding job, scoring a 4.7 out of 5 getting high marks for her leadership skills and organization of the town departments.
“I think you are exceptionally organized, and you have led phenomenal drive towards professionalization of the town’s services, which is critical because that’s pretty much the most powerful tool we have to get more for less. And I see it in how you approach your work,” said Yates. He noted Garvin’s list of hires since arriving in Belmont in 2018, pointing to several department heads”[who are] all exceptional at what they do, and they are able to do it by … your excellent work building an organization to serve the residents of Belmont, and that’s a credit to your talented efforts.”
“[Garvin has] an incredible amount of institutional knowledge, the ability to work through difficult situations, and work through pretty much anything that comes up. It really shows your strength,” said Board Vice Chair Carole Berberian. “The financial management ability to restructure and work to increase efficiencies … is all really strong and contributes to the successes in the position.”
“When I did your performance review, what I used as a standard was the field of possible town administrators or town managers. You’re the best,” said Board member Matthew Taylor. “I wish all of our residents could see how much work Patrice does behind the scenes to solve problems, to get to further our relationships with our staff and our unions, [and] to improve our presentations and communications.”
Responding to the comments, Garvin said that she “loves working for the town of Belmont. I love working for the people here. I pretty much in here more than I am at home, so I just feel that my drive and my effort all go goes towards the improvement of this town. And I think over the last eight years, I’ve been able to to do that with thete staff I work with.”
“It’s a great team effort I bring to the town every day. I don’t think I would work as hard as if I didn’t enjoy it as much as I do. I love a problem I need to solve,” she said.







