City of Everett
Boards & Commissions
Most of the day-to-day decisions that shape your street happen at boards and commissions, not at the ballot box. These are the rooms where residents serve as volunteers and where a single neighbor showing up can change an outcome. Everett fills these seats by mayoral appointment, and many of them are open to you.
How a Board Works
A board or commission is a small group of residents, usually appointed by the Mayor, that handles one slice of city business: wetlands, historic buildings, liquor licenses, or the value of your home. They hold public meetings, take public comment, and vote on the record. Because the groups are small and the topics are specific, your voice carries further here than almost anywhere else in city government.
- Find the board that touches what you care about, whether that is a zoning change, a park, or an election question.
- Check the agenda through the City Clerk’s Office, which posts meeting notices for city bodies.
- Show up and speak, or apply to serve. Vacancies are filled by the Mayor’s Office at 617-394-2270.
Everett’s Boards & Commissions
- Board of AppealsHears appeals, special-permit applications, and petitions for variances from decisions of the code-enforcement officers and Inspectional Services.
- Board of AssessorsSets the assessed value of every property in Everett, the basis for your tax bill.
- Board of HealthProtects public health: food and housing inspections, communicable-disease response, and sanitation.
- Conservation CommissionA five-member board that protects wetlands and the Mystic, Malden, and Island End Rivers.
- Council on AgingRuns programs, services, and the senior center for Everett’s older residents.
- Cultural CouncilAwards grants that bring arts, humanities, and science programming to the city.
- Disability CommissionAdvocates for residents with disabilities and reviews access to city buildings and services.
- Diversity CommissionPromotes equity and belonging across Everett’s many communities.
- Election CommissionRuns voter registration, administers campaign-finance law for city candidates, and conducts the annual city census.
- Historical CommissionIdentifies and protects Everett’s historic buildings and records.
- Housing AuthorityManages public and subsidized housing for Everett families and seniors.
- Licensing BoardIssues and reviews licenses for businesses that serve alcohol and other regulated goods.
- Planning BoardReviews subdivisions, site plans, and zoning changes that shape how the city is built.
- Recreation CommissionOversees parks programming, fields, and recreation for residents of every age.
- Retirement BoardAdministers the pension system for Everett’s municipal employees.
- Traffic CommissionSets rules for parking, signals, and traffic safety on city streets.
Ready to serve? Boards meet year round and seats open often. Ask the Mayor’s Office how to apply, or watch the City Clerk’s notices for the next meeting.