Select Board

Members of the Select Board are elected to a three-year term of office. They are paid an annual stipend of $400. In order for an individual to run for office, the following criteria apply:

• Must be a registered voter in the Town of Boxborough.
• Must collect and return to the Town Clerk a petition with 25 signatures from registered voters approximately five weeks before the election to be on the ballot.
• It is also advantageous to have served the town in some other capacity.

Town Meetings

In the Town of Boxborough, the open Town Meeting is the town’s legislative body. It provides an equal opportunity for all citizens to participate in the decision-making process. As the legislative body, Town Meeting has the following powers:

• The power to set the spending level
• The power to set the bylaws of the town
• The power to set the pay scales for Town employees
• The power to act on the Town Meeting agenda
• The power to decide the level of services
• The power to implement new programs

Annual Town Meeting occurs every year on the second Monday in May and residents are invited and encouraged to attend. A Special Town Meeting may be called by the Select Board or upon request by petition of 200 registered voters.

Executive Branch

The Select Board is the executive branch, although it has no veto power over Town Meeting, rather it serves at the behest of the residents primarily as caretakers between the Annual and Special Town Meetings. The duties of the Select Board vary greatly from town to town; however, according to state laws, all boards have the following powers:

• The power to sign warrants for payment of all Town bills
• The power to make appointments to specific Town boards or offices
• The power to hire professional administrative staff and Town Council
• The power to prepare the Town Meeting warrant

Spending

The Select Board oversees the spending of the money which has been appropriated by Town Meeting. The Select Board can determine how efficiently the Town operates through individuals it hires (particularly Department heads, and in turn the individuals they hire). The Select Board must ensure that the Town follows all state statutes pertaining to the town government. The Board particularly focuses on the policy matters, leaving execution and details to the paid staff of the Town, most importantly through the Town Administrator. As the chief elected officers of the town, the Board also tries to bridge communications across the other independently elected or appointed offices, as well as community and business groups.