Town Government
Tewksbury Boards & Commissions
What Boards & Commissions Are
Beyond the Select Board and the School Committee, much of Tewksbury’s governing happens on volunteer boards and commissions. They approve new development, hear zoning appeals, protect the wetlands and the Shawsheen River, and guide services for residents. These are the rooms where an ordinary resident, with no title and no election behind them, can have the most direct hand in a decision.
The meetings are public, and seats open up regularly.
Key Boards & Commissions
- Planning Board reviews subdivisions, site plans, and major development.
- Zoning Board of Appeals hears variances and special permits.
- Conservation Commission protects Tewksbury’s wetlands, ponds, and the Shawsheen River corridor.
- Board of Health oversees inspections, permits, and public health rules.
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee works to make the town welcoming to every resident.
- Council on Aging Board guides services for older residents.
For the full roster, current members, vacancies, and schedules, see tewksbury-ma.gov.
How to Serve
- Find an opening on the town’s boards and committees page.
- Submit a letter of interest or application to the Select Board office.
- Interview if asked, and await appointment.
- Serve: attend the public meetings and help make decisions for your town.
Sources
Tewksbury government website (tewksbury-ma.gov). Verified July 2026.
What this seat decides
Your other boards
Board of Health. Tobacco and nicotine sales, flavored products, food permits, and housing conditions. It can pass a binding regulation on its own, without a Town Meeting vote.
Planning Board. Where housing or businesses can be built, height limits, and a specific development. It holds the public hearing, and the zoning change itself is voted by Town Meeting: two thirds for most changes, a simple majority for the housing changes the law lists.
Conservation Commission. A stream, a wetland, a marsh, or a pond.
Library Trustees. Library hours, programs, and policy. The money it spends is voted by Town Meeting.
Historical Commission. An old building, and how it can be protected and preserved.
Serving on a board is one of the most direct ways to shape Tewksbury.