Town Government
Boards & Commissions
What Boards & Commissions Are
Beyond the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee, much of New Salem’s governing happens on volunteer boards and commissions. They review new development, hear zoning appeals, protect wetlands and open space, weigh in on historic places, and guide services for residents. In a town with no appointed administrator, these rooms are where an ordinary resident can have the most direct hand in a decision.
Some seats are filled on the town ballot each spring, and others are appointed by the Board of Selectmen. In New Salem you can run for some of these seats and be appointed to others, and in a town of this size the boards are often looking for neighbors willing to serve.
New Salem’s Boards & Committees
- Planning Board reviews subdivisions, site plans, and major development.
- Zoning Board of Appeals hears variances and special permits.
- Conservation Commission protects New Salem’s wetlands, streams, and open space along the Quabbin watershed.
- 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.
- Board of Assessors sets property values and hears abatements.
- Cemetery Commission and Historical Commission care for the town’s burial grounds and its historic places.
- Agricultural Commission & Community Garden supports the town’s farms and its shared garden.
- Open Space and Recreation Plan, Tree, Energy, Broadband, and Technology committees look after the land, the roadside trees, and the town’s infrastructure.
For the full roster, current members, vacancies, and schedules, see the Boards & Committees index at newsalemma.org.
How to Serve
- Find an opening on the town’s Boards & Committees page, or watch the ballot for elected seats.
- Reach out to the Selectmen’s office or the committee chair to say you are interested.
- Await appointment by the Board of Selectmen, or take out nomination papers with the Town Clerk and run for an elected seat.
- 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 Salem.