Town Government
Chatham Boards & Commissions
What Boards & Commissions Are
Beyond the Select Board and the School Committee, much of Chatham’s governing happens on volunteer boards and commissions. They approve new development, hear zoning appeals, protect the town’s wetlands and open space, weigh in on historic places, and guide services for residents. They are the rooms where an ordinary resident can have the most direct hand in a decision.
Who chooses them is a real question here, and Chatham’s charter answers it. Voters elect only a handful of these bodies directly: the Select Board, the Town Moderator, Chatham’s seats on the regional Monomoy School Committee, and the Housing Authority. The Moderator, once elected, appoints the Finance Committee. The Select Board and the Town Manager appoint most of the rest, from the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Conservation Commission to the Board of Assessors, under the charter and the town’s bylaws.
Key Boards & Commissions
- Planning Board reviews subdivisions, site plans, and major development. Appointed.
- Zoning Board of Appeals hears variances and special permits. Appointed.
- Conservation Commission protects Chatham’s wetlands, ponds, and open space. Appointed.
- Finance Committee reviews the budget and advises Town Meeting on spending. Appointed by the Moderator.
- Board of Health oversees inspections, permits, and public health rules. Appointed.
- Community Preservation Committee recommends how the town spends its Community Preservation Act money on open space, historic preservation, recreation and affordable housing, and Town Meeting votes each project.
- Historical Commission works on the town’s historic places and sponsors preservation projects.
- Housing Authority runs the town’s public housing. Elected, five year terms, with three of its five members chosen by the voters.
For the full roster, current members, vacancies, and schedules, see chatham-ma.gov.
How to Serve
- Find an opening on the town’s boards and committees page.
- Submit a letter of interest or application to the Select Board office. The board advertises its openings on the town website, and it takes applications up to a stated meeting date.
- Interview if asked, and await appointment.
- Serve: attend the public meetings and help make decisions for your town.
Most of these seats are appointed, not won at the ballot box, which means an ordinary resident with time and interest can end up in the room without running a campaign. The town posts its openings and takes applications from any resident who wants to serve.
Serving on a board is one of the most direct ways to shape Chatham.
MassCivics last checked this page on September 26, 2026.
Sources
- Laws and the constitution: Massachusetts General Court, General Laws, chapter 121B, section 5, as of September 2026.
- Town records: Town of Chatham, Select Board, as of May 15, 2026.
- Town records: Town of Chatham, Town Manager, as of September 1, 2026.
- Charter and bylaws: Town of Chatham, Home Rule Charter, Chapter C, as of September 1, 2026.