Town Government
New Salem Board of Selectmen
About the Board
The Board of Selectmen is elected town-wide, so every New Salem 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 serves as the town’s chief 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 board’s own office and a part-time Town Coordinator at 24 South Main Street.
- Controls the warrant, deciding what business reaches Town Meeting for a vote.
Board Members
All three members are elected town-wide to staggered three-year terms. The board’s officers, as the town posts them on its own page, are Richard Taupier as Chair, with Susan Cloutier and Carl Seppala serving as members.
Richard Taupier
Susan Cloutier
Carl Seppala
The town routes contact to board members through the Selectmen’s office, which can be reached at 978-544-6437. The member roster and agendas are posted at newsalemma.org.
Meetings & How to Participate
- When: at 7:00 PM on alternating Monday evenings at 19 South Main Street and on Zoom. The town posts each agenda in advance.
- Agendas & minutes: posted in advance on the town website at newsalemma.org, and the town explains how a resident can get on the board’s agenda.
- Public comment: residents may address the board, and the town publishes a policy on public comment 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.