Town Government
Douglas Board of Selectmen
About the Board
The Board of Selectmen is elected town-wide, so every Douglas 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.
- Holds the licensing authority, granting the permits a small town regulates, from alcohol to entertainment.
Board Members
All five members are elected town-wide to staggered three-year terms, and after each annual town election the board reorganizes and elects its own Chair and Vice Chair for the year. The members below are the sitting board; check the town’s own Board of Selectmen page for the current officers after the most recent election.
Leslie M. Stevens
Timothy P. Bonin
Michael E. Fitzpatrick
Harold R. Davis
Ross I. Smith
The town routes contact to board members through the Board of Selectmen office at the Municipal Center, 29 Depot Street, reachable at 508-476-4000. The current roster is posted at douglas-ma.gov.
Meetings & How to Participate
- When: the first and third Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in the Resource Room at the Municipal Center, 29 Depot Street. The town posts each agenda in advance.
- Agendas & minutes: posted in advance on the town website at douglas-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.