Town Government
Cheshire Board of Selectmen
About the Board
The Board of Selectmen is elected town-wide, so every Cheshire voter helps choose all five, and each serves a three-year term on a staggered schedule that puts a couple of seats on the ballot each spring. 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 Administrator 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 Administrator and holds the Administrator accountable.
- Controls the warrant, deciding what business reaches Town Meeting for a vote.
Board Members
All five members are elected town-wide and serve staggered three-year terms, so a couple of seats appear on the ballot each May. After each annual town election the board reorganizes and chooses its own officers. Its current roster names Michelle Francesconi as Chair and Shawn McGrath as Vice Chair.
Michelle Francesconi
Shawn McGrath
Raymond Killeen
Scott McWhirt
Ronald DeAngelis
The town routes contact to board members through the Board of Selectmen office, which can be reached at (413) 743-1690 ext. 100. The current roster is posted at cheshire-ma.gov.
Meetings & How to Participate
- When: at 6:30 p.m. in the Meeting Room at the Community House and Town Offices, 191 Church Street. The town posts each agenda in advance.
- Agendas & minutes: posted in advance on the town website at cheshire-ma.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 the registered voters in the hall, which can include you.
Public hearings and meetings are where residents shape town decisions.