Town Government
Andover Select Board
About the Board
The Select Board is elected town-wide, so every Andover voter helps choose all five, and each serves a three-year term on a staggered schedule that puts a seat or two on the ballot every March. The board sets town policy, signs the warrants that decide what Town Meeting gets to vote on, appoints residents to many town boards, and hires and supervises the Town Manager who runs the town day to day. When a daily problem becomes town policy, this is the room where it happens.
- Sets policy and direction for the whole town.
- Hires the Town Manager and holds the manager accountable.
- Controls the warrant, deciding what business reaches open Town Meeting for a vote.
Board Members
All five members are elected town-wide. The board chooses one of its own as Chair to run its meetings, another as Vice Chair, and a third as Clerk. The current roster was set after the March 2026 town election.
Ellen Townson
Melissa Danisch
Laura M. Gregory
Kevin Coffey
Alexander J. Vispoli
The whole board can be reached at SelectBoard@andoverma.us or through the Select Board office at 978-623-8200. Member directories are posted at andoverma.gov.
Meetings & How to Participate
- When: Monday evenings, generally twice a month, at the Town Offices, 36 Bartlet Street.
- Agendas & minutes: posted in advance on the town website at andoverma.gov.
- Public comment: residents may address the board. Check the agenda for the procedure.
- Town Meeting: for the budget and bylaws, the deciding vote belongs to open Town Meeting, where any registered Andover voter can speak and vote.
Sources
Andover Select Board (andoverma.gov). Verified July 2026.
Andover Select Board coverage (andovermanews.com). Verified July 2026.
Andover government website (aps1.net). Verified July 2026.
What this seat decides
Your Select Board
Streets and sidewalks, licenses, a crosswalk or a speed limit, and how something gets onto the Town Meeting warrant. Ask the engineering department who owns the road before you write: a numbered state route is MassDOT's rather than your town's, and your State Representative is who can ask them. It runs the town day to day, or hires the Town Manager or Town Administrator who does, and new bylaws are voted by Town Meeting rather than by the board.
Public hearings and meetings are where residents shape town decisions.