some Bridgewater taxpayers questioned

The town of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, is hiring a lawyer after a recent watchdog report accused the town manager of failed leadership and abusing vacation days during his time working in a different community.

As reported by the NBC10 Boston Investigators, a new report from the Office of the Massachusetts Inspector General identified alleged failures of Justin Casanova-Davis when he worked as town administrator in Norfolk. He is also accused of abusing vacation time so he could collect a larger payout at the end of his tenure.

Casanova-Davis is no longer in a leadership position in Norfolk and has held the role of town manager in Bridgewater since July 2025.

The report found Justin Casanova-Davis, now the town manager in Bridgewater, abused vacation time and misused public resources as Norfolk's town administrator.

During a public meeting on Tuesday night, Bridgewater Town Council President Paul Murphy said that councilors met in executive session on Monday to discuss the matter.

After that discussion, they voted to seek an outside attorney to review the situation. According to Murphy, the town attorney recused himself because of a conflict of interest.

"The council believes it is important to have the benefit of independent legal advice before determining whether any further action is appropriate," Murphy told residents during Tuesday's meeting.

Casanova-Davis has not responded to calls or emails seeking a response to the OIG report. Nobody answered the door when the NBC10 Boston Investigators stopped by his Whitman home on Friday.

The town manager was also not at Tuesday's meeting. It remains unclear if Casanova-Davis will stay on the job during the outside attorney's review, or if he will be placed on leave. NBC10 Boston contacted the council president to get clarification about his status.

Prior to the executive session on Monday, a Bridgewater resident and former state prosecutor in the Essex District Attorney's Office made his case about how elected leaders should proceed.

"That's not one mistake on a bad day or an oversight. That's a pattern of failures," Philip Mallard told councilors. "If we cannot rely on our town manager to accurately enter something as routine as his own sick time, why should we rely upon him to oversee $74 million of our taxpayer money?"

The town of Norfolk is also addressing the OIG report, which includes a recommendation for officials to request a refund from Casanova-Davis for the inflated vacation payout.

Norfolk Town Administrator Rob Garrity told NBC10 Boston the Select Board will be discussing the OIG's letter and recommendations at its next meeting on Aug. 17.

Casanova-Davis has not responded to calls or emails seeking a response to the OIG report. Nobody answered the door when the NBC10 Boston Investigators stopped by his Whitman home on Friday.

The town of Norfolk is also addressing the OIG report, which includes a recommendation for officials to request a refund from Casanova-Davis for the inflated vacation payout.

Norfolk Town Administrator Rob Garrity told NBC10 Boston the Select Board will be discussing the OIG's letter and recommendations at its next meeting on Aug. 17.