Belmont Select Board unanimously appoints Mark Hurley interim police chief at $205,000

BELMONT — August 21, 2025 — Belmont Select Board appoints interim police chief at $205,000 and launches permanent search. The three-member board voted unanimously Thursday morning to name Assistant Chief Mark Hurley as interim police chief effective August 26, 2025, following the unexpected retirement of the previous chief. The board set Hurley's interim salary at $205,000, which Chair Matt Taylor described as splitting the difference between Hurley's current pay and the retiring chief's salary, reflecting the reality that Hurley would "be doing effectively two jobs." Town Administrator Patrice Garvin acknowledged public sensitivity to salaries above $200,000 but argued the figure reflects market conditions for qualified police leaders, saying "there is a certain reality of what the market dictates and what talent involves." The board also unanimously approved an updated request for proposals for a search firm to recruit a permanent chief, with proposals expected over the next two to three weeks and a screening committee to begin forming in late September.