Town Government
Boards & Commissions
What Boards & Commissions Are
Beyond the Select Board and the School Committee, much of East Bridgewater’s governing happens on volunteer boards and commissions. They approve new development, hear zoning appeals, protect the wetlands and open space, advise Town Meeting on the budget, and steer the largest building project the town has taken on in a generation. They are the rooms where an ordinary resident can have the most direct hand in a decision.
Most members are appointed by the Select Board and serve fixed terms, and a few, including the Planning Board, the Board of Health and the Library Trustees, are elected town-wide. The meetings are public, and seats open up regularly.
Key Boards & Commissions
- Planning Board reviews subdivisions, site plans and major development. 508-378-1607.
- Zoning Board of Appeals hears variances and special permits. 508-378-1608.
- Conservation Commission protects East Bridgewater’s wetlands, rivers and open space. 508-378-1623.
- Finance Committee reviews the budget and advises Town Meeting on spending.
- Central School Building Committee steers the new Central Elementary School project through design and construction.
- Capital Improvement Planning Committee ranks the town’s larger long-term purchases and projects.
- Historical Commission works on the town’s historic buildings and records. 508-378-1600 Ext. 1052.
- Library Board of Trustees oversees the Public Library, and its seats are elected town-wide.
- Housing Authority manages the town’s public housing. 508-378-3838.
- Agricultural Commission and the Recreation Commission cover farmland and the town’s fields, parks and youth programs.
For the full roster, current members, vacancies and schedules, see eastbridgewaterma.gov.
How to Serve
- Find an opening. The town publishes a guide called Volunteering for Boards and Committees, listing what each one does.
- Fill out the form. The town posts an Appointment and Reappointment form for exactly this.
- Submit it to the Select Board office at Town Hall, 175 Central Street, and interview if you are asked to.
- Serve: attend the public meetings and help make decisions for your town.
Serving on a board is one of the most direct ways to shape East Bridgewater.