Milford's Mitch Ruscitti Takes Over As Hopedale Town Administrator

HOPEDALE, MA — After some shaky months in Hopedale that included a property tax override and the resignation of a top town official, a longtime Milford leader has taken over at the helm of town government.

Mitch Ruscitti, a longtime public servant and member of several Milford town committees, took over as Hopedale town administrator at the end of June. Ruscitti is Hopedale's first permanent town administrator — the chief executive of the town, overseeing departments and reporting to the Select Board — since Diana Schindler resigned in October after a dispute with the Select Board over a performance review.

Now in the town's top job, Ruscitti, 35, hopes to begin steering Hopedale away from recent turmoil and toward focusing on quality-of-life issues like improving parks, attracting developments in line with the character of the town and a Complete Streets project along Adin Street providing a link to the Milford Regional Medical Center campus.

Some of the work will be financial. Hopedale voters in May approved a $1.35 million property tax override that prevented the town library and senior center from closing after a budget shortfall. Other local small towns in Massachusetts have faced similar choices this year, but voted down tax increases.

Ruscitti's path to the top job in Hopedale actually began in Hopedale. Although he grew up in Milford, Ruscitti is a 2005 graduate of Hopedale High School. He went on to graduate from UMass-Lowell, and earned a master’s degree in public administration at the University of Kentucky. He worked in the office of former Kentucky governor Steve Beshear, the Worcester city manager's office and in Rutland.

Ruscitti recently served on the Milford Finance Committee, helping to oversee spending recommendations ahead of Town Meeting. He also served on the Downtown Revitalization Committee.

Ruscitti helped lead an effort along with Milford Parks Director Jim Asam to raise over $6,500 to rebuild the Tank Field playground in Milford. He also helped the town apply for a $1.3 million federal Community Development Block Grant to use for a variety of projects around town.

He counts Asam and Milford Town Administrator Richard Villani as mentors in his journey to a leadership role in Hopedale.

"I'm extremely grateful for being able to cut my teeth with them," he said.

Ruscitti said one of his main goals is just letting Hopedale residents know he's on the job and ready to serve. The administrator's office is open every weekday for residents who want to talk, and he's available by phone or email, too.

"For me, it's just letting the community know I'm here, just trying to get some positive momentum going," he said.