Town Government
West Newbury Select Board
About the Board
The Select Board is elected town-wide, so every West Newbury voter helps choose all three, and each serves a three-year term on a staggered schedule that puts one seat on the ballot every May. This is the executive board of the town. It appoints the Town Manager who runs the town day to day, along with the Police Chief, Town Counsel, the Town Accountant and the auditor, and it appoints most members of the town’s other boards and committees. It reviews the annual budget the Town Manager prepares, it issues the warrants that decide what Town Meeting gets to vote on, and it serves as the town’s licensing board. 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 Manager and appoints the Police Chief, Town Counsel and most town boards.
- Controls the warrant, deciding what business reaches Town Meeting for a vote.
Board Members
All three members are elected town-wide. Wendy Reed chairs the board, and Barry Fogel and Christopher Wile serve alongside her. One seat comes up at the Annual Town Election each May, so the board’s makeup can change one member at a time while the work carries on.
Wendy Reed
Barry Fogel
Christopher Wile
The town routes contact to board members through the Select Board office, which can be reached at 978-363-1100 ext. 1125. The member roster is posted at wnewbury.org/708/Select-Board.
Meetings & How to Participate
- When: the board meets every other Thursday evening, with occasional variation, in the First Floor Hearing Room of the 1910 Building at West Newbury Town Hall, 381 Main Street. The town posts each agenda in advance.
- Agendas & minutes: posted on the town’s Agenda Center at wnewbury.org, and you can sign up for an alert when a new one goes up.
- Public comment: residents may address the board. Check the agenda for the procedure.
- 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.