MassVoter.com← ArlingtonMunicipal votes · 2023–2024 Board
Arlington Select Board
How the Arlington Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide for three-year terms. On April 3, 2023 the board chose Eric Helmuth as Chair and John Hurd as Vice Chair. The same five members served all year. Covers 28 meetings, April 3 to April 1, 2024.
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 budgetYour Arlington ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.
Start my ballot →Board years
Coming up
No upcoming meeting is posted yet. Check the official calendar →
Under the state Open Meeting Law, boards post notice at least 48 hours ahead, not counting weekends and legal holidays.
Members
ChairEric HelmuthChair · At-large · at 28 of 28 meetings
Vice-ChairJohn HurdVice Chair · At-large · at 28 of 28 meetings
Stephen DeCourceyMember · At-large · at 26 of 28 meetingsLen DigginsMember · At-large · at 28 of 28 meetings
Diane MahonMember · At-large · at 27 of 28 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: Arlington Select Board minutes (the board was called the Board of Selectmen until 2018; the minutes use the new name from September 2018) from January 8, 2018 through September 14, 2026: 249 meetings and 2,454 votes. The town’s PrimeGov portal holds the board’s minutes back to January 2014 (MassVoter has loaded 2018 on). All the minutes are typed documents with searchable text; the March 30, 2026 minutes were posted as a web page instead of a PDF. Where the only minutes posted for a date are released executive-session minutes, the meeting is listed as Special. Emergency-addendum minutes for October 19, 2020, January 25, 2021 and January 23, 2023 are shown with that night’s meeting. Not here: 2018–2025 meetings that have an agenda but no posted minutes (August 7 and November 26, 2018; August 1 and November 4, 2019; September 10, 2020; June 7, November 1, December 9 and December 15, 2021; June 15, 2022; August 21, 2025), the September 10, 2026 goal-setting session, and meetings after September 14, 2026 (the September 28 and October 5, 2026 minutes are not posted yet). How votes were read: since 2026 the minutes list every member’s vote by name; from 2018 to 2025 they give the mover and a count (“SO VOTED (5-0)”), naming any member who voted no or abstained, and during remote meetings (2020–2022) a roll call by name. A count that equals the members present is shown as each member voting yes; a split where the minutes name who voted which way is shown by name. Where the count does not add up to the members present, a roll call leaves out or adds a member, or a split gives no names, we show the count only, with a note (25 votes); 5 votes give no count and show the result only. Where the Town Manager or members of another board voted with the Select Board (joint meetings and a few items the Town Manager votes on by law), only the Select Board members’ votes are shown. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.
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 1Favorable action: Article 14 Bylaw Amendment/Focused Residence PicketingMotion: Mr. Hurd moved favorable action.Passed 4–1 · No: Diggins
April 1, 2024: Favorable action: Article 14 Bylaw Amendment/Focused Residence Picketing
Mr. Hurd moved favorable action.
Yes: DeCourcey, Helmuth, Hurd, MahonNo: Diggins
From the minutes
“Mr. Hurd moved favorable action. SO VOTED (4-1) Mr. Diggins voted in the negative..” (Motion: Hurd)
Apr 1"will report" to Town MeetingMotion: Mrs. Mahon moved "will report" to Town Meeting.Passed 4–0 · see note
April 1, 2024: "will report" to Town Meeting
Mrs. Mahon moved "will report" to Town Meeting.
Yes: DeCourcey, Diggins, Hurd, MahonEric Helmuth stepped aside (recused) and is not shown as voting (the minutes say: “Mr. Helmuth recused himself.; Mr. Helmuth recused himself from this warrant article hearing.”).
From the minutes
“Mrs. Mahon moved "will report" to Town Meeting. SO VOTED (4-0) Mr. Helmuth recused himself..” (Motion: Mahon)
Apr 1No action: Article 21 Home Rule Legislation/To Amend the…Motion: Mr. DeCourcey moved no action.Passed 4–0 · see note
April 1, 2024: No action: Article 21 Home Rule Legislation/To Amend the Senior Citizen Property Tax
Mr. DeCourcey moved no action.
Yes: DeCourcey, Diggins, Hurd, MahonEric Helmuth stepped aside (recused) and is not shown as voting (the minutes say: “Mr. Helmuth recused himself.; Mr. Helmuth recused himself from this warrant article hearing.”).
From the minutes
“Mr. DeCourcey moved no action. SO VOTED (4-0) Mr. Helmuth recused himself..” (Motion: DeCourcey)
Apr 1Favorable action: Article 22 Home Rule Legislation/Lowering the Voting…Motion: Mrs. Mahon moved favorable action.Passed 4–0 · see note
April 1, 2024: Favorable action: Article 22 Home Rule Legislation/Lowering the Voting Age to 16 in Local Elections
Mrs. Mahon moved favorable action.
Yes: DeCourcey, Diggins, Hurd, MahonEric Helmuth stepped aside (recused) and is not shown as voting (the minutes say: “Mr. Helmuth recused himself.; Mr. Helmuth recused himself from this warrant article hearing.”).
From the minutes
“Mrs. Mahon moved favorable action. SO VOTED (4-0) Mr. Helmuth recused himself..” (Motion: Mahon)
Mar 26Approve: Article 11 Bylaw Amendment/Fossil Fuel Free Bylaw Language…Motion: Mr. Hurd moved approval.Passed 4–0 · see note
March 26, 2024: Approve: Article 11 Bylaw Amendment/Fossil Fuel Free Bylaw Language Changes
Mr. Hurd moved approval.
Yes: Diggins, Helmuth, Hurd, MahonStephen DeCourcey stepped aside (recused) and is not shown as voting (the minutes say: “Mr. DeCourcey recused.”).
From the minutes
“Mr. Hurd moved approval. A roll call vote was taken on the motion by Mr. Cunningham. Mr. Diggins: yes Mr. DeCourcey: Mrs. Mahon: yes Mr. Helmuth: yes Mr. Hurd: yes SO VOTED (4-0) Mr. DeCourcey recused..” (Motion: Hurd)
Mar 18Favorable action: Article 11 Bylaw Amendment/Fossil Fuel Free Bylaw…Motion: Mr. Hurd moved favorable action.Passed 4–0 · see note
March 18, 2024: Favorable action: Article 11 Bylaw Amendment/Fossil Fuel Free Bylaw Language Changes
Mr. Hurd moved favorable action.
Yes: Diggins, Helmuth, Hurd, MahonStephen DeCourcey stepped aside (recused) and is not shown as voting (the minutes say: “Mr. DeCourcey recused himself.; Mr. DeCourcey recused himself from this hearing.”).
From the minutes
“Mr. Hurd moved favorable action. SO VOTED (4-0) Mr. DeCourcey recused himself..” (Motion: Hurd)
Mar 18Approve: Article 23 Endorsement of CDBG ApplicationMotion: Mrs. Mahon moved approval.Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Hurd
March 18, 2024: Approve: Article 23 Endorsement of CDBG Application
Mrs. Mahon moved approval.
Yes: DeCourcey, Diggins, Helmuth, MahonAbstained: HurdThe minutes say the Town Manager also voted on this item, so the count (5-0) includes the Town Manager. Only the Select Board members’ votes are shown.
From the minutes
“Mrs. Mahon moved approval. SO VOTED (5-0) Mr. Hurd abstained..” (Motion: Mahon)
Mar 18Approve: Article 24 Revolving FundsMotion: Mrs. Mahon moved approval.Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Hurd
March 18, 2024: Approve: Article 24 Revolving Funds
Mrs. Mahon moved approval.
Yes: DeCourcey, Diggins, Helmuth, MahonAbstained: Hurd
From the minutes
“Mrs. Mahon moved approval. SO VOTED (4-0) Mr. Hurd abstained..” (Motion: Mahon)
Mar 18Approve: Article 36 Endorsement of Parking Benefit District ExpendituresMotion: Mrs. Mahon moved approval.Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Hurd
March 18, 2024: Approve: Article 36 Endorsement of Parking Benefit District Expenditures
Mrs. Mahon moved approval.
Yes: DeCourcey, Diggins, Helmuth, MahonAbstained: Hurd
From the minutes
“Mrs. Mahon moved approval. SO VOTED (4-0) Mr. Hurd abstained..” (Motion: Mahon)
Mar 18Approve: Article 66 Resolution/MBTA ServiceMotion: Mrs. Mahon moved approval.Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Hurd
March 18, 2024: Approve: Article 66 Resolution/MBTA Service
Mrs. Mahon moved approval.
Yes: DeCourcey, Diggins, Helmuth, MahonAbstained: Hurd
From the minutes
“Mrs. Mahon moved approval. SO VOTED (4-0) Mr. Hurd abstained..” (Motion: Mahon)
From the Arlington Select Board’s official minutes, posted on the town’s PrimeGov meeting portal (linked from the town’s Agendas and Minutes page). We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: Arlington Community Media (ACMi) candidate profile and news videos (John Hurd, 2018; Stephen DeCourcey, 2019); Arlington Patch candidate profile (Eric Helmuth, 2021, courtesy of the candidate); YourArlington (Joseph Solomon, June 2026, photo by Marjorie Howard; Diane Mahon, March 2026 candidate profile, photo submitted by the candidate).
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