Town Government
Essex Board of Selectmen
About the Board
The Board of Selectmen is elected town-wide, so every Essex voter helps choose all three, and each serves a three-year term on a staggered schedule that puts a seat on the ballot most springs. 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 three members are elected town-wide. After each annual town election the board reorganizes and chooses its own officers. Ann Cameron serves as Chair and Peter D. Phippen as Clerk of the board; on a three-member board there is no separate Vice Chair.
Ann Cameron
Peter D. Phippen
Dexter Lee-Viator
The town routes contact to board members through the Board of Selectmen office, which can be reached at 978-768-6531. The board roster is posted at essexma.org.
Meetings & How to Participate
- When: twice a month on Monday evenings at Essex Town Hall, 30 Martin Street. The town posts each agenda in advance.
- Agendas & minutes: posted in advance on the town website at essexma.org.
- 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.