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Municipal votes · 2018–2019 Board

Abington Select Board

How the Abington Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. Bob Manning was Chair and Tom Connolly Vice Chair, with Ken Coyle, Tim Chapin and Jim Connolly. The town website's minutes start on January 14, 2019, so MassVoter shows this board from then until the April 27, 2019 town election. No February 2019 minutes are posted. Covers 7 meetings, January 14 to April 22, 2019.

A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.

What does the Select Board do? It is the town’s executive board. It prepares the Town Meeting warrant (the list of articles voters decide), appoints members of many town boards, hires the town’s top staff, signs warrants to pay town bills, and grants licenses and permits.

Town Meeting, not the Select Board, votes the town budget and town bylaws.

Sources: Massachusetts Select Board Handbook (MMA) · Mass. Division of Local Services: the town budget
Election Day · Tuesday, Nov 3

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Board years

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What Town Meeting decided

In Abington, Town Meeting — not the Select Board — votes the town budget, bylaws and zoning. Here is what it did with each article, in the Town Clerk’s own words. Any registered voter can take part, and most votes are by voice or show of hands, so there is no list of who voted which way.

Annual Town Meeting · April 7, 2025 26 votes: 22 passed, 2 failed, 2 no action
  • Art. 1 Raise $17,490 for out-of-district vocational school transportation, 2025-2026 (consent agenda) Passed “Unanimous”
  • Art. 2 Raise $5,000 for the Health Imperative violence prevention program, FY2026 (consent agenda) Passed “Unanimous”
  • Art. 3 Raise $2,500 for the Arc of the South Shore, FY2026 (consent agenda) Passed “Unanimous”
  • Art. 4 Transfer $25,000 from free cash for grant matching funds, FY2026 (consent agenda) Passed “Unanimous”
  • Art. 5 Transfer $20,000 from free cash for public safety overtime and details at the St. Patrick's Day Parade Passed “Passes”
  • Art. 6 Create a residential waste hauling enterprise fund and provide $1.2 million for its start-up Failed “Does Not Pass as Proposed · In favor (Yes) of the Article 124 / Apposed (No)to the Article 141”
  • Art. 7 FY2026 operating budget, $71,847,803, plus $1,200,000 from free cash for waste collection Passed “Passes”
  • Art. 8 Fund the capital plan, total $2,343,321.99 Passed “Unanimous”
  • Art. 9 FY2026 Community Preservation budget: $871,552 in projects and reserves plus a $150,000 Memorial Field bond payment Passed “Unanimous”
  • Art. 10 Transfer $50,000 from water retained earnings for sick leave buy back for two retiring Water Department employees Passed “Unanimous”
  • Art. 11 Transfer $106,161.85 from free cash for uses consistent with the FY23 opioid settlement Passed “Unanimous”
  • Art. 12 Transfer $1,000 to care for the abandoned Hillside Cemetery on Randolph Street Passed “Unanimous”
  • Art. 13 Accept a gift of about 20 acres on Ashland Street from the Trufant family for open space, agriculture and recreation Passed “Unanimous”
  • Art. 14 Transfer $125,000 from golf course retained earnings to demolish the building at 22 Bedford Street Passed “Passes”
  • Art. 15 Acquire land and easements for the Hancock/Chestnut Street intersection improvement project Passed “Passes”
  • Art. 16 Approve the amended South Shore Regional Vocational School District agreement Passed “Unanimous”
  • Art. 17 Create a revolving fund (limit $10,000) for maintenance of town EV charging stations Passed “Passes”
  • Art. 18 Add a general bylaw on security alarm systems and false alarm penalties Passed “Unanimous”
  • Art. 19 Lower the Town Meeting quorum from 150 to 75 registered voters Failed “Does Not Pass”
  • Art. 20 Replace the zoning section on accessory apartments with rules for protected-use accessory dwelling units (ADUs) Passed “Unanimous”
  • Art. 21 Remove "accessory apartments" from the zoning use table and change some single-family uses to "N" Passed “Unanimous”
  • Art. 22 Fix a typographical error for two-family/duplex use in the Transitional Commercial zoning district Passed “Unanimous”
  • Art. 23 Change abutter notice wording for Board of Appeals public hearings to match state law Passed “Unanimous”
  • Art. 24 Amend zoning rules for small-scale ground-mounted solar No action “Passed Over”
  • Art. 25 Require structures to be at least 10 feet from any easement (zoning) No action “Passed Over”
  • Art. 26 Transfer $200,000 from free cash to cover the FY2025 snow and ice deficit Passed “Unanimous”

Source: Town Clerk's certified record in the 2025 Annual Town Report.

Not here yet: the April 1, 2024 Annual Town Meeting, the November 25, 2024 Special Town Meeting and the May 4, 2026 Annual Town Meeting (the Town posts only warrants for these, and no 2024 Annual Town Report is online).

Titles are short descriptions of each article from the official record; the quoted words are the Town Clerk’s. A vote at Town Meeting is not the final word on everything: some articles also need a ballot vote (such as a tax override) or the Attorney General’s approval (bylaws).

Members

Tim ChapinMember · Elected townwide · at 7 of 7 meetingsKen CoyleMember · Elected townwide · at 7 of 7 meetingsJames ConnollyMember · Elected townwide · at 6 of 7 meetings

"At X of Y meetings" counts the members the minutes list as present at the start of each meeting in this record. Members who step out are listed on each meeting page.

Meetings

About missing minutes

Loaded: every Select Board meeting (called the Board of Selectmen until 2025) with minutes posted on the town website: 2019, 2020 and January 2022 through July 20, 2026. Not here: anything from 2021 (the website has no 2021 minutes folder), meetings whose minutes the town has not posted (the board meets about twice a month, but only 10 to 16 sets of minutes are posted for each year), executive-session minutes, and minutes after July 20, 2026. Abington's minutes are typed by the Town Manager's office and usually give the mover, the seconder and the result in one line ("motion by Mr. X ..., seconded by Ms. Y, unanimous"); remote and Zoom-era votes are often roll calls by name. 57 of the 97 files are scans (every file from 2019 through September 2023 and nine later ones), which we read by computer text recognition. When the minutes say a vote was unanimous we show every member present as voting yes; when they give a roll call, or a count with the members who voted no or abstained named, we show each member's vote as recorded. Abington writes three-number counts as for-abstain-against (for example "4-1-0 (Mr. Bunker abstained)"). When the minutes record an action with no count, no names and no mention of a unanimous vote, we show the result only and never assume it was unanimous. Where the minutes give only a count without names, or the names and the count do not match, we show the count only and add a note. Members who had not yet arrived, had left, or stepped aside (recused) are left out of that vote. At joint meetings (Board of Assessors, Water and Sewer Commissioners) only the Select Board members' votes are shown, and a "choice" vote where each member named a candidate shows the result only. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.

Monday, April 22, 2019 · Regular meeting30 recorded votes, 30 with disagreementAll 5 members presentMonday, April 8, 2019 · Regular meeting7 recorded votes, 1 with disagreementAll 5 members presentMonday, March 25, 2019 · Regular meeting8 recorded votes, 1 with disagreementAbsent: James ConnollyMonday, March 18, 2019 · Regular meeting3 recorded votes, 2 with disagreementAll 5 members presentMonday, March 11, 2019 · Regular meeting9 recorded votes, 2 with disagreementAll 5 members present

Votes where members disagreed

Most board votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one member voted no or abstained, newest first.

Apr 22Recommend Article 1 of the May 2019 Special Town…Motion: To recommend Article 1Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

April 22, 2019: Recommend Article 1 of the May 2019 Special Town Meeting warrant

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present

To recommend Article 1

Tim Chapin had not yet arrived, so is not counted in this vote. James Connolly had not yet arrived, so is not counted in this vote.

From the minutes

“Article 1 - Motion by Coyle; Second by T. Connolly; Unanimous 3-0 vote to recommend (Chapin Absent).” (Motion: Coyle, second: Thomas J. Connolly)

Read it in the official minutes, page 2 (PDF)

Apr 22Recommend Article 2 of the May 2019 Special Town…Motion: To recommend Article 2Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

April 22, 2019: Recommend Article 2 of the May 2019 Special Town Meeting warrant

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present

To recommend Article 2

Tim Chapin had not yet arrived, so is not counted in this vote. James Connolly had not yet arrived, so is not counted in this vote.

From the minutes

“Article 2 - Motion by T. Connolly; Second by Coyle; Unanimous 3-0 vote to recommend (Chapin Absent).” (Motion: Thomas J. Connolly, second: Coyle)

Read it in the official minutes, page 2 (PDF)

Apr 22Recommend Article 3 of the May 2019 Special Town…Motion: To recommend Article 3Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

April 22, 2019: Recommend Article 3 of the May 2019 Special Town Meeting warrant

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present

To recommend Article 3

Tim Chapin had not yet arrived, so is not counted in this vote. James Connolly had not yet arrived, so is not counted in this vote.

From the minutes

“Article 3 - Motion by Coyle; Second by T. Connolly; Unanimous 3-0 vote to recommend (Chapin Absent).” (Motion: Coyle, second: Thomas J. Connolly)

Read it in the official minutes, page 2 (PDF)

Apr 22Recommend Article 5 of the May 2019 Special Town…Motion: Article 5 - toPassed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

April 22, 2019: Recommend Article 5 of the May 2019 Special Town Meeting warrant

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present

Article 5 - to

Tim Chapin had not yet arrived, so is not counted in this vote. James Connolly had not yet arrived, so is not counted in this vote.

From the minutes

“Article 5 - Motion by Manning to; Second by Coyle; Unanimous 3-0 vote to recommend (Chapin Absent).” (Motion: Manning, second: Coyle)

Read it in the official minutes, page 2 (PDF)

Apr 22Recommend Article 6 of the May 2019 Special Town…Motion: To recommend Article 6Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

April 22, 2019: Recommend Article 6 of the May 2019 Special Town Meeting warrant

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present

To recommend Article 6

Tim Chapin had not yet arrived, so is not counted in this vote. James Connolly had not yet arrived, so is not counted in this vote.

From the minutes

“Article 6 - - Motion by T. Connolly; Second by Coyle; Unanimous 3-0 vote to recommend (Chapin Absent).” (Motion: Thomas J. Connolly, second: Coyle)

Read it in the official minutes, page 2 (PDF)

Apr 22Recommend Article 7 of the May 2019 Special Town…Motion: To recommend Article 7Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

April 22, 2019: Recommend Article 7 of the May 2019 Special Town Meeting warrant

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present

To recommend Article 7

Tim Chapin had not yet arrived, so is not counted in this vote. James Connolly had not yet arrived, so is not counted in this vote.

From the minutes

“Article 7 - - Motion by Coyle; Second by Manning; Unanimous 3-0 vote to recommend (Chapin Absent).” (Motion: Coyle, second: Manning)

Read it in the official minutes, page 2 (PDF)

Apr 22Recommend Article 9 of the May 2019 Special Town…Motion: To recommend Article 9Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

April 22, 2019: Recommend Article 9 of the May 2019 Special Town Meeting warrant

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present

To recommend Article 9

Tim Chapin had not yet arrived, so is not counted in this vote. James Connolly had not yet arrived, so is not counted in this vote.

From the minutes

“Article 9 - Motion by Coyle; Second by T. Connolly; Unanimous 3-0 vote to recommend (Chapin Absent).” (Motion: Coyle, second: Thomas J. Connolly)

Read it in the official minutes, page 2 (PDF)

Apr 22Recommend Article 2 of the May 2019 Annual Town…Motion: To recommend Article 2Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note

April 22, 2019: Recommend Article 2 of the May 2019 Annual Town Meeting warrant

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present

To recommend Article 2

James Connolly had not yet arrived, so is not counted in this vote.

From the minutes

“Article 2 -- Motion by Coyle, Second by Chapin; Unanimous 4-0 vote to recommend.” (Motion: Coyle, second: Chapin)

Read it in the official minutes, page 3 (PDF)

Apr 22Recommend Article 3 of the May 2019 Annual Town…Motion: To recommend Article 3Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note

April 22, 2019: Recommend Article 3 of the May 2019 Annual Town Meeting warrant

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present

To recommend Article 3

James Connolly had not yet arrived, so is not counted in this vote.

From the minutes

“Article 3 -- Motion by Tom Connolly, Second by Coyle, Unanimous 4-0 vote to recommend..” (Motion: Thomas J. Connolly, second: Coyle)

Read it in the official minutes, page 3 (PDF)

Apr 22Recommend Article 4 of the May 2019 Annual Town…Motion: To recommend Article 4Passed 3–1 · No: Thomas J. Connolly

April 22, 2019: Recommend Article 4 of the May 2019 Annual Town Meeting warrant

ApprovePassed · 3–1

To recommend Article 4

Yes: Chapin, Coyle, ManningNo: Thomas J. ConnollyJames Connolly had not yet arrived, so is not counted in this vote.

From the minutes

“Article 4 - Motion by Coyle, Second by Chapin, 3-1 vote to recommend (T. Connolly opposed).” (Motion: Coyle, second: Chapin)

Read it in the official minutes, page 3 (PDF)

From the Abington Select Board’s (formerly Board of Selectmen) official minutes, posted in the Select Board minutes folders on the town website. We check every vote against the members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos of current members: Abington News candidate articles (Emery, Eddy, Cormier) and Abington CAM candidate videos (Bunker, Coyle). Former members show initials.

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