The Halifax Board of Selectmen voted unanimously last Thursday to appoint Darleen Sullivan, who stepped down as Norwell’s Town Administrator at the end of June, as Halifax’s Interim Town Administrator — filling the town’s top appointed post the same evening they interviewed her. Over roughly 70 minutes of questioning, Sullivan promised the board a five-year budget forecast within about a month of starting, pledged to work full-time hours rather than a part-time interim schedule, and, while stressing she was speaking personally rather than as a town official, urged Halifax to reconsider its rejection of the state’s MBTA Communities zoning requirement, telling Selectmen the town is “bleeding money legally” in its ongoing suit.
The appointment was the only substantive item on the agenda. Chairman Thomas Pratt opened the meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Great Hall at 499 Plymouth Street, joined by Selectman William Smith, Selectman Jonathan Selig and Board of Selectmen Administrative Assistant Pamela McSherry. The board’s posted agenda listed a single interview, a possible vote, and an anticipated executive session to prepare for contract negotiations.
Sullivan told the board she brings more than 30 years of management experience and roughly 20 years in municipal government. She spent 16 years at Verizon in customer billing operations before moving into local government, starting in assessing, then serving as Treasurer-Collector in Hanover and Norwell. In Norwell she rose to Finance Director, Assistant Town Administrator and ultimately Town Administrator, a post she left at the end of June.
“I’m a problem solver, just by nature,” Sullivan said, describing a management approach built on communication and department-head collaboration. “I don’t walk in and exert, you know, hey, I’m the boss. I look at it like I’m coming in and I’m working with other professionals.”
She also addressed the elephant in the room directly: Halifax has cycled through administrators in recent years, and department heads have watched several transitions. “I know you guys have been through some transition,” Sullivan said. “But I promise that I will, no matter what, if I’m your person, that I will not leave you hanging.” She pointed to Norwell, where she gave more than six months’ notice, as evidence of how she exits a job.
Pratt asked how quickly Sullivan could assess the town’s financial and operational condition. Her answer centered on data. Within roughly a month, she said, she would compile four to five years of budget-versus-actual history to see where Halifax has consistently needed transfers, then build a template and a five-year forward-looking forecast.
“Let’s budget closer to reality if we can,” she said, adding that she would lean on the Finance Committee and department heads for detail and knows where to go for early estimates on state local aid.
Sullivan also walked the board through Norwell’s override, which passed at town meeting but narrowly failed at the ballot — members cited margins of roughly 80 to 134 votes. Her chief lesson, she said, was timing: she had told residents an override was coming two years in advance, but formal preparation should have started earlier in the fall. When school assessment figures and a health insurance increase she put at 14.28 percent landed in the winter, her staff built parallel “override” and “cut” budgets, split the article into a base budget and a supplemental, and held multiple public forums. After the ballot defeat, the town implemented the reductions, consolidating some positions.
She described a budget restructuring she used in Norwell that she may bring to Halifax: breaking out “shared costs” — health insurance, pension, liability and life insurance obligations that serve both town and schools — as a separate line between gross revenue and departmental appropriations. The exercise, she said, revealed that a budget that looked like a 50-50 town-school split was closer to 70-30. “At least the invisible bleed was gone in that sense,” she said.
School costs drew particular attention because Halifax carries two of them — its own elementary budget and its assessment to the Silver Lake Regional district. Pratt noted that the dual structure was new to Sullivan’s experience, and Selig said a monthly check-in with regional district administration had been established under previous town administrators to track budget conditions. Sullivan said she wants Halifax represented at that table and intends to examine the district’s detailed budget and the fairness of the assessment method. Selig also noted that the town’s municipal budget is typically finished well before school figures firm up, because districts are waiting on state numbers.
The interview’s sharpest exchange came when Pratt noted that Halifax voters “overwhelmingly” rejected the MBTA Communities zoning mandate in December 2024, that the town is now ineligible for certain state grants, and that the matter remains unresolved.
Sullivan did not hedge. Saying she was hesitant to press an opinion in the role but would give her personal view, she told the board: “I think we need to re-approach this and you really should pass it, because in all honesty, the state has the absolute authority to do this.”
She argued the town’s leverage lies in siting rather than refusal: “Why not take the only control you have, which is where do we want to put it?” She said she did not expect the town’s litigation to prevail, and pointed to infrastructure grants for bridges, culverts, and sidewalks that Halifax cannot currently access. Smith noted the town is also losing out on Transportation Improvement Program money.
Sullivan added that a district could later be repealed by town meeting vote, and said she would ask town counsel whether Halifax could adopt the zoning and still pursue its suit. She twice framed the remarks as personal: “I’m not wearing the Town Administrator hat today. If I was, I’d be a little more reserved.”
Pratt outlined the breadth of the position: Halifax’s administrator serves as human resources, procurement officer and records request officer, without a dedicated HR department. Sullivan said she carried the same portfolio in Norwell and used a low-cost consultant to help with procurement RFPs, moving all bids online through a free platform. She said she would likely ask whether the town clerk could serve as records access officer for intake and tracking, while remaining involved herself — but only after learning how Halifax operates. “I don’t want to come into Halifax and make big changes right now,” she said. “I need to get in, I need to get into the bathtub here and see how it’s going.”
Smith asked how she handles confrontational residents and whether she had dealt with First Amendment audits in Norwell. On both, Sullivan emphasized preparation and composure: listen, respond calmly, don’t escalate, and make sure staff are trained in advance. “I’m also very professional, but I do not shy away from tough conversations,” she said.
Asked about hours — Halifax Town Hall is closed Fridays — Sullivan committed to a full schedule, distinguishing herself from previous interim candidates who proposed partial weeks. “I’m going to commit as if I’m a full-time TA,” she said. “I don’t think you can get it done” otherwise.
Sullivan turned the interview around near the end, asking the board how it would define success. Pratt said the town needs items resolved rather than accumulated, citing ongoing litigation in several areas, friction between departments and a divided electorate following a close override vote. He asked for a smoother, earlier budget process, better communication with residents, and a well-organized town meeting “that the residents can be proud of.” Smith said his priorities were not being blindsided and having accurate warrant materials that are not changed at the last minute. “You shouldn’t be tweaking numbers after it’s been blessed,” Sullivan agreed.
Selig, who said he has served six years on the board, was blunt in his assessment: “Your resume is the most extensive and impressive in municipal work that I’ve seen for any candidate that’s come across our desk in my time here.”
Pratt then made the motion to appoint her. It carried unanimously. “I didn’t know that would happen this evening,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan said she is targeting a September 1 start but would begin onboarding immediately and make herself available for calls before then. She told the board her goals by June 30 are to leave Halifax with a set of financial policies — reserve, stabilization, and debt management — and a completed budget forecast, whether or not she is still in the chair. She also suggested the board revisit the arrangement in December or January to assess whether the fit should extend beyond the interim term.

Kratom comes off store shelves across Massachusetts on Aug. 28, closing a gap that Kingston’s Board of Health moved to close on its own nearly a year ago.
Governor Maura Healey announced the emergency order on Aug. 13. Department of Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD, has temporarily placed all forms of kratom into Schedule I under state law, the most restrictive classification the Commonwealth has, reserved for substances with a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. The order takes effect after a 14-day notice period and remains in place for up to one year.
For the three towns, the practical effect is the same in every case: any smoke shop, convenience store or gas station still carrying kratom powders, capsules, gummies, shots or dissolvable strips must clear them out, and local boards of health gain explicit authority to enforce that.
The order lands as a win for Rep. Kathy LaNatra, D-Kingston, who has spent two years working the issue in the 12th Plymouth District and at the State House, hosting briefings where legislators heard from parents, pediatricians and public health advocates.
“After hearing a personal story from a constituent and a friend about her child’s usage of kratom products and his subsequent recovery, I made it a top priority of mine to help educate my colleagues and constituents about this drug and do something to keep the residents of Massachusetts safe,” LaNatra said in a statement issued the day of the announcement.
She said her advocacy led “four out of six towns that I represent to issue town-wide bans prior to today’s order.” Her district covers Kingston, Plympton, precincts in Halifax, Middleborough, Pembroke and Plymouth. Plympton and Halifax appear to have been the two hold outs, so this state ban will change the status quo.
Express readers heard the warning early. In July 2025, LaNatra and Kingston Police Chief Brian Holmes went public together about kratom’s spread among local teenagers.
“Too many parents have never even heard of kratom, and yet their kids can walk into a local store and buy it right off the shelf,” LaNatra said at the time.
Holmes was blunter about the enforcement problem. “We’ve encountered young people in our community who are using kratom, unaware of how dangerous it really is. It’s flying under the radar, and that’s a serious problem,” he said. “There are no safeguards in place — no age restrictions, no proper labeling, no public awareness.”
Kingston’s Board of Health acted three months later. After a public hearing on Oct. 6, 2025, the board adopted a “Regulation Prohibiting the Manufacturing, Sale, and Distribution of Kratom, Kratom Products and Kratom Synthetics,” effective Oct. 17, 2025.
That town-to-town gap is what the state order now closes. Beginning Aug. 28, retailers in both towns face the same prohibition as those in Kingston — not through local rulemaking, but by operation of state law.
Cheryl Sbarra, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards, emphasized that. “Until now, kratom products were largely unregulated in Massachusetts,” she said. “We are increasingly concerned about their use, especially among young people, because these products are readily available in convenience stores across the Commonwealth.”
Enforcement is a separate question. Boards of Health in all three towns are small operations. Whether the three towns will inspect proactively or respond to complaints remains to be seen.
DPH says it is distributing guidance to local boards of health, health care providers and treatment programs, and will hold an informational webinar for local public health officials on implementing the order.
Kratom is a leafy plant native to Southeast Asia. It contains mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, and depending on dose can produce stimulant-like or opioid-like effects. Newer products on the market contain highly concentrated or laboratory-modified compounds with substantially stronger opioid-like effects than the raw plant.
Because the products have gone essentially unregulated, potency and ingredients vary widely from package to package, and buyers have had no reliable way to know what they were getting.
State health officials link kratom use to seizures, hallucinations, psychosis, physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms resembling opioid withdrawal. Overdose risk rises with highly potent products, with products containing unknown substances, and when kratom is combined with opioids, alcohol, benzodiazepines or other sedatives. Kratom-related deaths have been reported but remain uncommon and typically involve other substances or underlying health conditions.
Because the effects can be opioid-like, DPH advises that naloxone be administered immediately if someone who has used kratom has slowed or stopped breathing. Naloxone is available without a prescription at pharmacies and many retail locations.
Dependence is real, and a sudden supply cutoff can produce opioid-like withdrawal. Treatment is available, including medications, counseling, peer support and behavioral health services.
Anyone seeking help for themselves or a family member can call or text “HOPE” to 800-327-5050 to reach the Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline, staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. DPH has posted new resources at mass.gov/kratom covering the risks, how to recognize and respond to an overdose, and how to find treatment.

The Halifax Select Board voted unanimously, 3-0, at a special Thursday morning meeting on July 30 to approve, authorize, and execute a mutual transition and separation agreement with Town Administrator Steven Solbo, ending the tenure of the town’s top appointed official.
Chair Thomas Pratt opened the six-minute meeting by confirming that each board member had reviewed the proposed agreement as printed. No member had questions, and Solbo, who was present, had nothing to add. Pratt then made the motion himself.
“At this time, the agreement has been drawn up by legal and is subject to signatures and verification of a few things,” Pratt said. “Beyond that, as the chair, I will make a motion that our board sign the agreement as presented and enter into the proposed mutual separation and transition agreement as written.” The motion was seconded and passed 3-0 with all three members — Pratt, Vice Chair William Smith, and Clerk Jonathan Selig — present.
What followed was several minutes of tribute. “This is a tough gig. This is a very tough gig,” Selig said. “I commend him for always bringing it as far as his attitude, his effort, digging in and doing the best job he could for Halifax.” Smith thanked Solbo for “all the time and effort you put in.”
Pratt tied his own remarks to the Special Town Meeting held the night before, on July 29. “The one thing that I would add, in the lead-up, in the last several weeks and months, particularly these last seven to 10 days, despite some of this noise being on in the background, I think Steven showed up for the town, as was evidenced by last night,” Pratt said. “A much smoother, notably, town meeting. More organization through the door, and I thought that that was a good reflection on the dedication.”
The board’s reluctance to characterize the agreement was the meeting’s only point of friction. Resident Alan Dias of Snow St. asked the board to paraphrase what would happen next. “There’s some interest in this, and I think residents should know what’s going on,” Dias said.
Pratt agreed in principle but said the board’s hands were tied. Because the signed agreement is a public document, he said, a records request filed that day would have to be answered within 10 days, and the board expected to release the full agreement inside that window — “the hope would be by this time next week.” Dias pressed on the practical questions: whether the town would begin searching for a new administrator immediately, and whether Solbo would remain for days, weeks, or longer.
“Those are good questions, Alan,” Pratt replied. “We’re going to defer to legal. Legal counsel has advised us to sit on that for a bit. There are some things in the contract that would prohibit us from laying that out clearly at the moment, but I would imagine that you would know our plan sooner rather than later.” Dias then stated for the record that he was formally requesting the public information. The board adjourned at 8:37 a.m.
Two days Earlier: New School Committee Member Appointed
The Thursday vote came 48 hours after a two-and-a-half-hour joint session on Tuesday, July 28, in which the Select Board, the Halifax Elementary School Committee, and the Finance Committee met together in the Great Hall. The dominant subject there was money the school district is sending back to the town, prior to the Town Meeting held on July 29.
The joint bodies also filled a vacancy on the Halifax Elementary School Committee. Three of four applicants appeared: Krystal Kingsley, a health care executive with a finance and strategic planning background who grew up in Halifax; James Hopkins of Pond St., a retired naval officer and father of four; and Samantha Cox of Twin Lakes Dr., who worked for years in early childhood education and served on the override committee. Derek Wigman withdrew.
Members of all three boards took turns questioning the candidates on strengths, handling social media pressure, meeting commitments, and working as part of a team after losing a vote. Pratt recused himself from the vote, citing a personal friendship with one of the candidates. Selectman Jonathan Selig was absent, what may be his first missed meeting in his tenure, according to Pratt.
Because the appointment required a majority of all seven sitting members of the Select Board and School Committee — not merely those present — four votes were needed. School Committee member Tara Tonello first moved to appoint Hopkins, calling all three candidates “truly incredible”; the motion received no second. Goyette then moved to appoint Kingsley, saying the committee needed financial expertise. “When we start to do the budget, I feel like somebody with a strong financial background would be really helpful in that committee,” Goyette said. The motion carried with the required four votes, Pratt abstaining. Krystal Kingsley will be sworn in at the town clerk’s office.