Town Government
Boards & Commissions
What Boards & Commissions Are
Beyond the Select Board and the School Committee, much of New Braintree’s governing happens on boards and commissions. They review new development, hear zoning appeals, protect wetlands and open space, look after the cemeteries, and advise Town Meeting on the budget. In a town that runs itself without an appointed administrator, these rooms are where an ordinary resident can have the most direct hand in a decision.
Some boards are appointed by the Select Board. Others are elected on the town ballot: the Board of Assessors, the Board of Health, the Planning Board, and the Library Trustees, along with the Moderator and the town’s representatives to the regional School Committee. In New Braintree you can be appointed to some of these seats, and you can simply run for the others.
Key Boards & Commissions
- Planning Board reviews subdivisions, site plans, and major development. Elected.
- Zoning Board of Appeals hears variances and special permits, chaired by Michelle Gallagher.
- Conservation Commission protects New Braintree’s wetlands, streams, and open space, chaired by Jim Brown.
- Finance Committee reviews the budget line by line and advises Town Meeting on spending.
- Board of Health oversees inspections, trash and recycling, and public health rules. Elected.
- Board of Assessors sets property values and hears abatements. Elected.
- Historical Commission preserves the town’s records and historic character, with Town Historian Jennifer Pollard.
- Hardwick/New Braintree Cultural Council awards small grants for local arts and humanities programs.
For the full roster, current members, vacancies, and schedules, see the town’s boards and committees pages at newbraintreema.us.
How to Serve
- Find an opening on the town’s Boards & Committees page, or watch the ballot for elected seats.
- Apply for an appointed seat, or take out nomination papers with the Town Clerk and run for an elected one.
- Interview if asked, and await appointment by the Select Board, or stand for election.
- 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 New Braintree.