MassVoter.com← ArlingtonMunicipal votes · 2024–2025 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 8, 2024 the board chose Stephen DeCourcey as Chair and Diane Mahon as Vice Chair. The same five members served all year. Covers 26 meetings, April 8 to March 24, 2025.
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
ChairStephen DeCourceyChair · At-large · at 25 of 26 meetings
Vice-ChairDiane MahonVice Chair · At-large · at 23 of 26 meetings
Eric HelmuthMember · At-large · at 23 of 26 meetings
John HurdMember · At-large · at 23 of 26 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.
Mar 24Approve: Mayors' Monarch PledgeMotion: Mrs. Mahon moved approval.Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Diggins
March 24, 2025: Approve: Mayors' Monarch Pledge
Mrs. Mahon moved approval.
Yes: DeCourcey, Helmuth, Hurd, MahonAbstained: Diggins
From the minutes
“Mrs. Mahon moved approval. A roll call vote was taken on the motion by Mr. Cunningham. Mrs. Mahon: yes Mr. Helmuth: yes Mr. Hurd: yes Mr. Diggins: abstain Mr. DeCourcey: yes SO VOTED (4-0).” (Motion: Mahon)
Mar 24Authorize the execution of a Notice of Activity and…Motion: Mr. Helmuth moved that the Board authorize the execution of a…Passed 4–0 · see note
March 24, 2025: Authorize the execution of a Notice of Activity and Use Limitation and a Grant of Use Restrictions and Access Easement with respect to the Arlington High School and adjacent land…
Mr. Helmuth moved that the Board authorize the execution of a Notice of Activity and Use Limitation and a Grant of Use Restrictions and Access Easement with respect to the Arlington High School and adjacent land located at 869 Massachusetts Avenue, and further that Town Counsel take all necessary steps to record said Notice and Grant.
Yes: Diggins, Helmuth, Hurd, MahonStephen DeCourcey stepped aside (recused) and is not shown as voting.
From the minutes
“Mr. Helmuth moved that the Board authorize the execution of a Notice of Activity and Use Limitation and a Grant of Use Restrictions and Access Easement with respect to the Arlington High School and adjacent land located at 869 Massachusetts Avenue, and further that Town Counsel take all necessary steps to record said Notice and Grant. A roll call vote was taken on the motion by Mr. Cunningham. Mrs. Mahon: yes Mr. Helmuth: yes Mr. Hurd: yes Mr. Diggins: yes Mr. DeCourcey: recused SO VOTED (4-0).” (Motion: Helmuth)
Mar 24Favorable action: Article 15 is a Home Rule petition…Motion: Mrs. Mahon moved favorable action.Passed 4–0 · see note
March 24, 2025: Favorable action: Article 15 is a Home Rule petition to amend the senior citizen property tax exemption
Mrs. Mahon moved favorable action.
Yes: DeCourcey, Diggins, Hurd, MahonEric Helmuth stepped aside (recused) and is not shown as voting.
From the minutes
“Mrs. Mahon moved favorable action. A roll call vote was taken on the motion by Mr. Cunningham. Mrs. Mahon: yes Mr. Helmuth: recused Mr. Hurd: yes Mr. Diggins: yes Mr. DeCourcey: yes SO VOTED (4-0).” (Motion: Mahon)
Mar 24Favorable action: Article 16 is a Home Rule petition…Motion: Mr. Hurd moved favorable action.Passed 4–0 · see note
March 24, 2025: Favorable action: Article 16 is a Home Rule petition to increase the number of all-alcohol package store
Mr. Hurd moved favorable action.
Yes: DeCourcey, Diggins, Hurd, MahonEric Helmuth stepped aside (recused) and is not shown as voting.
From the minutes
“Mr. Hurd moved favorable action. A roll call vote was taken on the motion by Mr. Cunningham. Mrs. Mahon: yes Mr. Helmuth: recused Mr. Hurd: yes Mr. Diggins: yes Mr. DeCourcey: yes SO VOTED (4-0).” (Motion: Hurd)
Mar 17Favorable action on articles 13,14,15,17,18,19 and would like the…Motion: Mrs. Mahon moved favorable action on articles 13,14,15,17,18,19 and would like…Passed 3–0 · see note
March 17, 2025: Favorable action on articles 13,14,15,17,18,19 and would like the votes to reflect her voting in the affirmative
Mrs. Mahon moved favorable action on articles 13,14,15,17,18,19 and would like the votes to reflect her voting in the affirmative.
Yes: DeCourcey, Diggins, MahonEric Helmuth stepped aside (recused) and is not shown as voting (the minutes say: “Mr. Helmuth recused himself from the comments on articles 13,14,15,17,18,19”).
From the minutes
“Mrs. Mahon moved favorable action on articles 13,14,15,17,18,19 and would like the votes to reflect her voting in the affirmative. SO VOTED (3-0).” (Motion: Mahon)
Mar 10Mr. Hurd favorable action on the proposed change pending…Motion: Mr. Hurd favorable action on the proposed change pending the Legal…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
March 10, 2025: Mr. Hurd favorable action on the proposed change pending the Legal Department's prospective edits to the proposed bylaw change to expressly require that the age of majority is a threshold...
Mr. Hurd favorable action on the proposed change pending the Legal Department's prospective edits to the proposed bylaw change to expressly require that the age of majority is a threshold requirement for membership on Town Boards, Commissions and Committees.
The minutes do not say who made this motion.
From the minutes
“Mr. Hurd favorable action on the proposed change pending the Legal Department's prospective edits to the proposed bylaw change to expressly require that the age of majority is a threshold requirement for membership on Town Boards, Commissions and Committees. SO VOTED (4-0).”
Mar 10Favorable action: Article 13 Home Rule Legislation / Arlington…Motion: Mr. Diggins moved favorable action.Passed 3–0 · see note
March 10, 2025: Favorable action: Article 13 Home Rule Legislation / Arlington Redevelopment Board as the Town of
Mr. Diggins moved favorable action.
Yes: DeCourcey, Diggins, HurdEric Helmuth stepped aside (recused) and is not shown as voting (the minutes say: “Mr. Helmuth recused”).
From the minutes
“Mr. Diggins moved favorable action. SO VOTED (3-0).” (Motion: Diggins)
Mar 10Favorable action: Article 14 Home Rule Legislation / Real…Motion: Mr. Hurd moved favorable action.Passed 3–0 · see note
March 10, 2025: Favorable action: Article 14 Home Rule Legislation / Real Estate Transfer
Mr. Hurd moved favorable action.
Yes: DeCourcey, Diggins, HurdEric Helmuth stepped aside (recused) and is not shown as voting (the minutes say: “Mr. Helmuth recused himself.”).
From the minutes
“Mr. Hurd moved favorable action. SO VOTED (3-0).” (Motion: Hurd)
Mar 10Favorable action: Article 17 Home Rule Legislation / RodenticideMotion: Mr. Hurd moved favorable action.Passed 4–0 · see note
March 10, 2025: Favorable action: Article 17 Home Rule Legislation / Rodenticide
Mr. Hurd moved favorable action.
The minutes give the count as 4-0 and name Eric Helmuth (recused), which does not add up to the 4 members present. Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“Mr. Hurd moved favorable action. SO VOTED (4-0).” (Motion: Hurd)
Mar 10Favorable action: Article 18 Home Rule Legislation / Ranked…Motion: Mr. Hurd moved favorable action.Passed 2–1 · No: DeCourcey
March 10, 2025: Favorable action: Article 18 Home Rule Legislation / Ranked Choice Voting
Mr. Hurd moved favorable action.
Yes: Diggins, HurdNo: DeCourceyEric Helmuth stepped aside (recused) and is not shown as voting (the minutes say: “Mr. Helmuth recused”).
From the minutes
“Mr. Hurd moved favorable action. SO VOTED (2-1) Mr. DeCourcey voted in the negative..” (Motion: Hurd)
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).
How to read these pagesWhere the votes come from, how we check them against the official minutes, what isn't included yet, and how to report a mistake.About city pages →