Town Government
Shutesbury Select Board
About the Board
The Select Board is elected town-wide, so every Shutesbury voter helps choose all three, and each serves a three-year term on a staggered schedule that puts one 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 hires and supervises the Town Administrator who runs the town day to day. When a daily problem becomes town policy, this is the room where it happens.
- Sets policy and direction for the whole town.
- Hires the Town Administrator and holds the Administrator accountable.
- Controls the warrant, deciding what business reaches Town Meeting for a vote.
Board Members
All three members are elected town-wide, and the board chooses its own officers from among them. Its current roster lists Melissa Makepeace O’Neil as Chair and Eric Stocker as Vice Chair, alongside James Walton, who won his seat at the May 2026 town election.
Melissa Makepeace O’Neil
Eric Stocker
James Walton
The town routes contact to the whole board through a single address, selectboard@shutesbury.org, which forwards to the members and to the Town Administrator. The board’s roster and terms are posted at shutesbury.org.
Meetings & How to Participate
- When: every other Tuesday evening, usually held online, with the Zoom link published on the town calendar. The town posts each agenda in advance.
- Agendas & minutes: posted in advance on the town website at shutesbury.org.
- Public comment: most meetings open with a comment period in which residents are encouraged to speak.
- 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.