Town Government
Plainfield Select Board
About the Board
The Select Board is elected town-wide, so every Plainfield voter helps choose all three, and each serves a three-year term on a staggered schedule that puts a seat or two 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 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 at the Town Office, staffed by an Executive Assistant.
- Controls the warrant, deciding what business reaches Town Meeting for a vote.
Board Members
All three members are elected town-wide, and the board is chaired by Benjamin Gillett. One seat comes up at the annual town election most springs, so the roster turns over one member at a time. For the current names and terms of all three members, the town keeps its own roster on the Select Board page.
Benjamin Gillett
The town routes contact to board members through the Select Board office, reachable through Executive Assistant Jessica Marshall at 413-634-5420 ext. 204. The current member roster is posted at plainfield-ma.us/select-board.
Meetings & How to Participate
- When: Tuesday evenings, 7:00 to 8:00 PM, at the Town Office, 304 Main Street. The town posts each agenda in advance.
- Agendas & minutes: posted in advance on the town website at plainfield-ma.us, alongside the Select Board’s documents and calendar.
- Public comment: residents may address the board at its public 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.