Town Government
Boards & Commissions
What Boards & Commissions Are
Beyond the Select Board and the School Committee, much of Westborough’s governing happens on volunteer boards and commissions. They approve new development, hear zoning appeals, protect the town’s wetlands and open space, weigh in on historic places, and guide services for residents. They are the rooms where an ordinary resident can have the most direct hand in a decision.
Who appoints them is a real question here, and the charter answers it in two places. Section 3-2(d) gives the Select Board fifteen named bodies, among them the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Conservation Commission, the Recreation Commission, the Capital Expenditure Planning Committee, the Council on Aging, the Local Emergency Planning Committee, the Historical Commission, the Open Space Preservation Committee, the Veterans’ Advisory Board and the Cultural Council. Section 4-2(b) gives the Town Manager the Board of Assessors, the Board of Health and the Municipal Building Committee. And section 3-1(a) reserves seven bodies to the voters directly: the Select Board, the Moderator, the School Committee, the Housing Authority, the Planning Board, the Town Clerk and the Trustees of the Public Library.
Key Boards & Commissions
- Planning Board reviews subdivisions, site plans, and major development under charter section 3-5. Elected town-wide.
- Zoning Board of Appeals hears variances and special permits. Three members and two alternates, appointed by the Select Board.
- Conservation Commission protects Westborough’s wetlands, rivers, and open space. Appointed by the Select Board.
- Advisory Finance Committee reviews the budget and advises Town Meeting on spending.
- Board of Health oversees inspections, clinics, and public health rules. Its members are appointed by the Town Manager, and under section 5-2(b) the board itself appoints the Health Director.
- Community Preservation Committee recommends how the town spends its Community Preservation Act money on open space, historic preservation, recreation and affordable housing, and Town Meeting votes each project.
- Open Space Preservation Committee was created by Town Meeting in 1987 and had its mission reestablished by Town Meeting in 2011. Four of its seven members are appointed by the Select Board for one year terms; the other three come from the Conservation Commission, the Planning Board and the Recreation Commission.
- Housing Authority runs the town’s public housing. Elected town-wide, and it was the one contested race on the 2026 ballot.
For the full roster, current members, vacancies, and schedules, see www.westboroughma.gov.
How to Serve
- Find an opening on the town’s boards and commissions pages, which are split into an A to M list and an N to Z list.
- Submit a letter of interest or application to the Select Board office, or to the Town Manager’s office for the bodies section 4-2(b) assigns to the manager.
- Interview if asked, and await appointment.
- Serve: attend the public meetings and help make decisions for your town.
One route in is worth knowing before you turn eighteen. Section 5-3(e) lets the Select Board create a new committee and decide who appoints it, and it lets the Town Manager create advisory committees of her own. New bodies appear in Westborough regularly, and the newest ones are usually where a seat is still open: the Community Preservation Act Exploratory Committee that led to the 2022 CPA vote was made up of a Select Board member, a Planning Board member, and five residents who simply applied.
Serving on a board is one of the most direct ways to shape Westborough.