Town Government
Boards & Commissions
What Boards & Commissions Are
Beyond the Select Board and the School Committee, much of Westford’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. The Select Board appoints Town Counsel, the Conservation Commission, the Board of Appeals and every board the charter does not assign elsewhere. The Town Manager appoints the Board of Assessors, the Cemetery Commission, the Water Commission, the Recreation Commission and the Roudenbush community center committee. And seven bodies are not appointed at all: the Select Board, the Planning Board, the Moderator, the Housing Authority, the School Committee, the Library Trustees and the Board of Health are elected by the voters under charter section 16.
Key Boards & Commissions
- Planning Board reviews subdivisions, site plans, and major development. Elected, five year terms.
- Zoning Board of Appeals hears variances and special permits. Appointed by the Select Board.
- Conservation Commission protects Westford’s wetlands, rivers, and open space. Appointed by the Select Board.
- Finance Committee reviews the budget and advises Town Meeting on spending.
- Board of Health oversees inspections, clinics, and public health rules. Elected, three year terms.
- 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.
- Historical Commission works on the town’s historic places and sponsors preservation projects.
- Housing Authority runs the town’s public housing. Elected, five year terms.
For the full roster, current members, vacancies, and schedules, see westfordma.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. The board advertises its openings on the town website and on social media, and it takes applications up to a stated meeting date.
- Interview if asked, and await appointment.
- Serve: attend the public meetings and help make decisions for your town.
Two of these seats are worth knowing about before you turn eighteen. The Select Board seats residents at large on working groups: in May 2026 it appointed a Town Meeting Timing Working Group made up of one Select Board member, one School Committee member, one Finance Committee member, the Moderator, the Town Clerk and two residents at large. Those last two seats went to people who applied.
Serving on a board is one of the most direct ways to shape Westford.