Town Government
Somerset Boards & Commissions
What Boards & Commissions Are
Beyond the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee, much of Somerset’s governing happens on volunteer boards and commissions. They approve new development, hear zoning appeals, protect the wetlands along the Taunton River and Mount Hope Bay, weigh in on historic places, review the budget before Town Meeting sees it, and guide services for residents. They are the rooms where an ordinary resident can have the most direct hand in a decision.
Some are elected on the town ballot and some are appointed by the Board of Selectmen, and all of them serve fixed terms. The meetings are public, and seats open up regularly.
Key Boards & Commissions
- Planning Board reviews subdivisions, site plans, and major development. Its members are elected town-wide to five-year terms.
- Zoning Board of Appeals hears variances and special permits.
- Conservation Commission protects Somerset’s wetlands, waterfront, and open space.
- Advisory and Finance Committee reviews the budget and reports its recommendations to Town Meeting before the vote. It is the committee that reads every article before you do.
- Board of Health oversees inspections, permits, and public health rules. In Somerset the Board of Selectmen sits as the Board of Health.
- Board of Water and Sewer Commissioners sets water and sewer policy and rates, and its members are elected.
- Board of Assessors oversees property valuation and abatements.
- Board of Registrars oversees voter registration and the town census, and certifies nomination signatures.
- Historical Commission works on the town’s historic buildings and its house marker program.
- Community Preservation Committee recommends how the town spends its Community Preservation money on open space, housing, recreation and historic preservation.
- Economic Development Committee works on bringing business and investment into Somerset, and reports to the Board of Selectmen.
- Cultural Council awards grants to local arts, humanities and science programs.
- Council on Aging guides the Center for Active Living and services for older residents.
- Housing Authority runs the town’s public housing. One of its seats is elected town-wide.
- Playground and Recreation Commission runs the parks, Pierce Beach and youth programs, and its members are elected.
- Trustees of the Public Library govern the Somerset Public Library, and they too are elected on the town ballot.
- Town Moderator is one person, elected town-wide, who runs Town Meeting and rules on procedure. Kyle Neves was elected Moderator on April 13, 2026 with 887 votes.
The town also lists the Somerset School Committee, the Somerset Berkley Regional School Committee, and its Diman Regional representative among its committees. For the full roster, current members, vacancies, and schedules, see the town’s Boards & Committees index.
How to Serve
- Find an opening on the town’s Board and Committee Vacancies page.
- File a Talent Bank application with the Board of Selectmen office. Somerset keeps one on the town website for exactly this purpose.
- Interview if asked, and await appointment by the Board of Selectmen.
- Or run for it. Several of these boards are elected. Nomination papers open the first business day after January 1, and 50 signatures of registered Somerset voters put your name on the April ballot.
- 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 Somerset.