Town Government
Hancock Board of Selectmen
About the Board
The Board of Selectmen is elected town-wide, so every Hancock voter helps choose all three, and each serves a three-year term on a staggered schedule that puts one seat 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 serves as the town’s executive, running the town’s business itself rather than through an appointed administrator. When a daily problem becomes town policy, this is the room where it happens.
- Sets policy and direction for the whole town, and serves as its licensing authority.
- Runs the town between meetings, supported by the town office at Hancock Town Hall.
- Controls the warrant, deciding what business reaches Town Meeting for a vote.
Board Members
All three members are elected town-wide, one seat at a time. Sherman L. Derby, Sr. chairs the board, as its own most recent Annual Report lists it. One selectman’s seat is on the ballot at each spring town election.
Sherman L. Derby, Sr.
Don Rancatti
James Rodda
The town routes contact to board members through the Town Hall office, which can be reached at 413-738-5225 or bos@town.hancock.ma.us.
Meetings & How to Participate
- When: twice a month on Wednesday afternoons at Hancock Town Hall. The town posts each agenda in advance.
- Agendas & minutes: posted on the town website at town.hancock.ma.us.
- Public comment: residents may address the board at its meetings.
- 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.