WESTHAMPTON — Patrick Grigsby is settling in as Westhampton’s new town administrator, having taken the helm as chief of town operations earlier this summer. But the job is not the only thing that’s new for him.
Grigsby, 28, started in the new role in August after moving with his wife from Texas for the job. In May, Grigsby graduated with a doctorate in history from Texas A&M University.
“I have really enjoyed a lot of aspects of this job so far,” Grigsby told the Gazette. “I enjoy that it’s a position that allows you to solve problems for people in the town and to try to continue to make life good in Westhampton.”
Although he’s new to working in municipal government, Grigsby said public service has always been an interest of his. At Texas, Grigsby specifically studied New York City’s political system at Tammany Hall, known for being the local Democratic Party’s main organization in the 1890s.
Tammany Hall was also famous as a hotbed of corruption, a fact Grigsby said taught him to scrutinize the effect of the past on a local government’s present.
“You know, I studied corruption, but I’m not in favor of it,” he said with a laugh.
A lot of skills have translated from his education to the new role, Grigsby said, learning about government operations being a big one. He said he also had to apply for many grants while pursuing his doctorate, a crucial revenue stream for small towns like Westhampton.
“There’s a surprising amount of technical overlap between the two,” Grigsby said of his experience.
Grigsby arrived in the role amidst changes. The town transitioned the coordinator position to an administrator, reducing the new position’s hours from 40 to 32 a week. The coordinator role was previously held by Doug Finn, who left to take a role with the Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources.
The new administrator will serve as the town’s chief operating and administrative officer, providing support to Westhampton within current budget constraints, Finn previously told the Gazette.
Grigsby said he is filling big shoes trailing Finn’s departure, but he feels up for the task. Grigsby has been researching the area and Westhampton, learning about the town’s current financial hardships.
So far, his biggest priority has been to respond to Westhampton’s two failed Proposition 2½ override attempts, proposed for fiscal year 2027. He said the town is feeling the impacts of the failed votes but will continue to look for solutions leading into next year.
“That’s put the town in a pretty challenging fiscal position,” Grigsby said. “One of the things that I’ve tried to do this first month, and will continue trying to do, is find creative ways to save the town money without causing the town to lose valuable services.”
Grigsby said he and the Select Board have already been collaborating, and he and Finn have also been in communication to help the town through the transition.
Westhampton has been successful finding savings through energy efficiency initiatives, particularly when Finn was coordinator, Grigsby said. He hopes the town can steward current energy efficiency projects, such as the solar panels being installed at the Elementary School, while also expanding.
“Many town buildings have used state grant money to become more energy efficient. That’s just a great program because it doesn’t cost taxpayers in Westhampton any money and, in the long run, it saves them money,” he said.
Grigsby also hopes to provide more resources to members of town boards and committees and to bring more stability to these groups. These volunteer positions are often filled by residents with a lot of institutional knowledge, but if and when they leave, that knowledge is lost.
“One of the strengths of Westhampton is the fact that so many people volunteer their time,” Grigsby said. “So much of what the town does, we wouldn’t be able to do without volunteer help.”
Grigsby said that, while there are not many businesses in town, he hopes to collaborate with existing small businesses, particularly farms, to help provide support.
Grigsby said he and his wife have always been fans of Massachusetts, having traveled here in the past. While the small-town feel is similar to that of some communities in Texas, Grigsby said, he has noticed much more civic involvement in Westhampton.
“There’s a lot more programs, events, things in municipal government, while down in Texas, you have a little bit of that, but it’s much more limited,” he said.
Grigsby said it recently came to the town’s attention that a local Korean War veteran’s name was not included on the memorial at the front of Town Hall. Within just a couple weeks of working with the Select Board, that was fixed, Grigsby said.
He emphasized that, moving forward, he hopes to continue listening to residents and helping maintain the aspects of Westhampton people love, while trying to make progress where it is needed.
“Everyone in Westhampton has been incredibly friendly, and that fact has really solidified for me, which is why it was such a good opportunity to come here,” Grigsby said.
