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Municipal votes · 2020–2021 Board

Belmont Select Board

How the Belmont Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 3 Select Board members elected townwide for three-year terms. The 2020 town election was postponed from April 7 to June 23, 2020 (COVID-19); the board kept its usual timing and on April 13, 2020 chose Roy Epstein as Chair and Tom Caputo as Vice Chair (roll call, 3-0), effective after that meeting. The same three members served all year; most meetings were held by Zoom. Tom Caputo’s last meeting was April 5, 2021. Covers 52 meetings, April 13 to April 5, 2021.

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

Coming up

From the agendas Belmont posts on its official site. Agendas can change; the posted agenda is the official one.

What Town Meeting decided

In Belmont, 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. Town Meeting members are elected by precinct; counts are from the town’s electronic voting.

Special Town Meeting · October 20, 2025 16 votes: 13 passed, 1 failed, 2 no action

Sessions: October 20 and October 22, 2025

Source: Town of Belmont 2025 Annual Town Report, Appendix A: Special Town Meeting, October 20, 2025 - motions and votes (PDF pp. 396-402).

Special Town Meeting · July 23, 2025 3 votes: 3 passed

Sessions: July 23, 2025 (held by remote access)

Source: Town of Belmont 2025 Annual Town Report, Appendix A: Special Town Meeting, July 23, 2025 - motions and votes (PDF p. 378).

Special Town Meeting · May 21, 2025 4 votes: 2 passed, 1 indefinitely postponed, 1 no action

Source: Town of Belmont 2025 Annual Town Report, Appendix A: Special Town Meeting, May 21, 2025 - motions and votes (PDF pp. 352-353).

Annual Town Meeting · May 5, 2025 43 votes: 39 passed, 3 indefinitely postponed, 1 no action

Sessions: May 5, 7, 12, 19 and 21, 2025 (session dates as stated in the record)

Source: Town of Belmont 2025 Annual Town Report, Appendix A: Annual Town Meeting, May 2025 - motions and votes (PDF pp. 257-269).

Special Town Meeting · March 3, 2025 3 votes: 1 passed, 1 passed as amended, 1 no action

Sessions: March 3, 2025 (held by remote access)

Source: Town of Belmont 2025 Annual Town Report, Appendix A: Special Town Meeting, March 3, 2025 - motions and votes (PDF pp. 196-198).

Special Town Meeting · November 18, 2024 11 votes: 9 passed, 1 passed as amended, 1 indefinitely postponed

Sessions: Opened November 18, 2024; session dates after the first are not listed in the record

Source: Town of Belmont 2024 Annual Town Report, Appendix A: Special Town Meeting, November 18, 2024 - motions and votes (PDF pp. 334-388).

Special Town Meeting · June 26, 2024 2 votes: 1 passed, 1 no action

Sessions: June 26, 2024 (held by remote access)

Source: Town of Belmont 2024 Annual Town Report, Appendix A: Special Town Meeting, June 26, 2024 - motions and votes, attested by the Town Clerk (PDF pp. 275-276).

Special Town Meeting · June 5, 2024 3 votes: 2 passed, 1 no action

Source: Town of Belmont 2024 Annual Town Report, Appendix A: Special Town Meeting, June 5, 2024 - motions and votes (PDF p. 267).

Annual Town Meeting · April 29, 2024 48 votes: 44 passed, 2 passed as amended, 2 no action

Sessions: Opened April 29, 2024 (Segment A) with a later budget segment (Segment B); session dates are not listed in the record

Source: Town of Belmont 2024 Annual Town Report, Appendix A: Annual Town Meeting, April 29, 2024 - motions and votes (PDF pp. 249-262).

Special Town Meeting · January 22, 2024 2 votes: 2 passed

Sessions: January 22, 2024 (held by remote access)

Source: Town of Belmont 2024 Annual Town Report, Appendix A: Special Town Meeting, January 22, 2024 - motions and votes, attested by the Town Clerk (PDF p. 230).

Not here yet: Belmont's 2026 meetings (March 4 Special, May 4 Annual and May 18 Special Town Meetings) are not here because the Town Clerk has posted only electronic roll-call tallies for them, which do not say whether each motion passed; the November 16, 2026 Special Town Meeting has not happened yet.

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

Adam DashMember · At-large · at 50 of 52 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: Belmont Select Board minutes from January 8, 2018 through September 21, 2026: 400 meetings and 3,612 votes. The town’s Agenda Center holds the board’s minutes back to 2012; MassVoter has loaded 2018 on. The board was the Board of Selectmen; the minutes switch to the name Select Board in the fall of 2019 (first on September 16, 2019), with both names used until the end of that year. Minutes from 2022 on are typed documents with searchable text; the 2018 to 2021 minutes are copier scans, and 219 of them had little or no text, so MassVoter read them with text recognition and checked where names or counts were unclear. Joint meetings with the School Committee, Warrant Committee, Board of Assessors and other boards are loaded when the Select Board voted as a board; only the Select Board’s votes are shown, and joint meetings where it took no vote of its own are left out. Not here: executive-session minutes; cancelled meetings and meetings without a quorum; site visits; meetings with an agenda but no posted minutes, among them May 11, June 3 and June 8, 2026; dates where the file posted belongs to another meeting or board (several 2018 Belmont High School Building Committee files, the April 30, 2018 evening slot, and repeated 2024 postings, each loaded once under its own date); and meetings after September 21, 2026 other than that one: the July 13, July 20, August 10, August 12 (with the Board of Assessors), August 31, September 9, September 28 and October 5, 2026 minutes are not posted yet. Belmont’s minutes usually say a motion “was seconded and passed unanimously” or “unanimously by roll call vote,” with an attendance list at the top (present, remote, absent); split votes give a count and name the member voting no or abstaining (“passed 2-1 with Ms. Berberian voting in opposition”). On a three-member board, a named no or abstention with the others voting yes names every vote. A count equal to the members present, or unanimous wording, is shown as every member present voting yes. Where the count and the names in the minutes disagree, or a split count names no one, we show the count only (17 votes), and where the minutes give no count or names (mostly 2018’s “The BOS voted in favor”) we show the result only (68 votes). Members who recused themselves or were out of the room are not shown in that vote; members who arrived late or left early are shown only in the votes they were there for. A motion with no recorded outcome is not counted as a vote. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.

Monday, April 5, 2021 · Regular meeting8 recorded votes, 8 with disagreementAll 3 members presentMonday, March 29, 2021 · Regular meeting9 recorded votes, 9 with disagreementAll 3 members presentMonday, March 15, 2021 · Joint meeting17 recorded votes, 19 with disagreementAll 3 members presentMonday, March 8, 2021 · Special meeting1 recorded votes, 1 with disagreementAll 3 members presentMonday, March 1, 2021 · Regular meeting14 recorded votes, 14 with disagreementAll 3 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 5Approve minutes from the March 15, 2021 joint meeting…Motion: APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES March 15, 2021 - Regular Meeting Motion…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

April 5, 2021: Approve minutes from the March 15, 2021 joint meeting with the School Committee as amended

Approve minutesPassed · Unanimous, 3 present

APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES March 15, 2021 - Regular Meeting Motion made to approve minutes from the March 15, 2021 joint meeting with the School Committee as amended. Motion approved by vote of (3-0).

The minutes do not say who made this motion.

From the minutes

“APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES March 15, 2021 - Regular Meeting Motion made to approve minutes from the March 15, 2021 joint meeting with the School Committee as amended. Motion approved by vote of (3-0)..”

Read it in the official minutes, page 1 (PDF)

Apr 5For the May 20, 2021 Special Town Meeting to…Motion: Town Moderator - Request to call the May 2021 Special Town…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

April 5, 2021: For the May 20, 2021 Special Town Meeting to be called by remote participation

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present

Town Moderator - Request to call the May 2021 Special Town Meeting to be held by Remote Participation Motion to for the May 20, 2021 Special Town Meeting to be called by remote participation. Approved by vote of (3-0).

The minutes do not say who made this motion.

From the minutes

“Town Moderator - Request to call the May 2021 Special Town Meeting to be held by Remote Participation Motion to for the May 20, 2021 Special Town Meeting to be called by remote participation. Approved by vote of (3-0)..”

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

Apr 5Accept donation of $100 from Brenda Colborne to be…Motion: Move to accept donation of $100 from Brenda Colborne to be…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

April 5, 2021: Accept donation of $100 from Brenda Colborne to be used for supplies for the Belmont Fire Department Appreciation Day

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present

Move to accept donation of $100 from Brenda Colborne to be used for supplies for the Belmont Fire Department Appreciation Day. Motion approved by vote of (3-0).

The minutes do not say who made this motion.

From the minutes

“Move to accept donation of $100 from Brenda Colborne to be used for supplies for the Belmont Fire Department Appreciation Day. Motion approved by vote of (3-0)..”

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

Apr 5Authorize the Belmont Fire Department, including any ambulance or…Motion: Motion made to authorize the Belmont Fire Department, including any ambulance…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

April 5, 2021: Authorize the Belmont Fire Department, including any ambulance or other EMS component, to go to the aid in other city/town, fire district or area under federal jurisdiction in this commonwealth…

Adopt orderPassed · Unanimous, 3 present

Motion made to authorize the Belmont Fire Department, including any ambulance or other EMS component, to go to the aid in other city/town, fire district or area under federal jurisdiction in this commonwealth or in any adjoining state in extinguishing fire therein or rendering any emergency aid, or performing any detail as ordered by the head of Fire Department of the joint based Cape Cod Fire district and while in the performance of their duties in extending such aid, show the same immunities and privileges as if performing the same as within this municipality. Motion approved by vote of (3-0). - 3|Page Approval of letter requesting Chief DeStefano access to Neogov as the Belmont Fire Department appointing authority e Chief DeStefano explained that Neogov is an electronic platform that will allow him to look at hiring and promotional lists.

The minutes do not say who made this motion.

From the minutes

“Motion made to authorize the Belmont Fire Department, including any ambulance or other EMS component, to go to the aid in other city/town, fire district or area under federal jurisdiction in this commonwealth or in any adjoining state in extinguishing fire therein or rendering any emergency aid, or performing any detail as ordered by the head of Fire Department of the joint based Cape Cod Fire district and while in the performance of their duties in extending such aid, show the same immunities and privileges as if performing the same as within this municipality. Motion approved by vote of (3-0). - 3|Page Approval of letter requesting Chief DeStefano access to Neogov as the Belmont Fire Department appointing authority e Chief DeStefano explained that Neogov is an electronic platform that will allow him to look at hiring and promotional lists..”

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

Apr 5Approve Fire Chief DeStefano to obtain access to Neogov…Motion: Motion made to approve Fire Chief DeStefano to obtain access to…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

April 5, 2021: Approve Fire Chief DeStefano to obtain access to Neogov for the purpose of hiring for the Belmont Fire Department

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present

Motion made to approve Fire Chief DeStefano to obtain access to Neogov for the purpose of hiring for the Belmont Fire Department. Motion approved by vote of (3-0).

The minutes do not say who made this motion.

From the minutes

“Motion made to approve Fire Chief DeStefano to obtain access to Neogov for the purpose of hiring for the Belmont Fire Department. Motion approved by vote of (3-0)..”

Read it in the official minutes, page 4 (PDF)

Apr 5Approve a one-year contract extension with the Ambient Temperature…Motion: Motion made to approve a one-year contract extension with the Ambient…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

April 5, 2021: Approve a one-year contract extension with the Ambient Temperature Corporation (ATCO) of Newburyport in an amount not to exceed $396,997 for the purpose of HVAC maintenance and repairs for Belmont...

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present

Motion made to approve a one-year contract extension with the Ambient Temperature Corporation (ATCO) of Newburyport in an amount not to exceed $396,997 for the purpose of HVAC maintenance and repairs for Belmont Public Schools and town owned buildings. Motion approved by vote of (3-0).

The minutes do not say who made this motion.

From the minutes

“Motion made to approve a one-year contract extension with the Ambient Temperature Corporation (ATCO) of Newburyport in an amount not to exceed $396,997 for the purpose of HVAC maintenance and repairs for Belmont Public Schools and town owned buildings. Motion approved by vote of (3-0)..”

Read it in the official minutes, page 4 (PDF)

Apr 5Support the installation of an information kiosk around Clay…Motion: Motion made for the Select Board to support the installation of…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

April 5, 2021: Support the installation of an information kiosk around Clay Pit Pond as presented

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present

Motion made for the Select Board to support the installation of an information kiosk around Clay Pit Pond as presented. Motion approved by vote of (3-0).

The minutes do not say who made this motion.

From the minutes

“Motion made for the Select Board to support the installation of an information kiosk around Clay Pit Pond as presented. Motion approved by vote of (3-0)..”

Read it in the official minutes, page 5 (PDF)

Mar 29Approve acknowledgement of the receipt of complaintMotion: Motion made to approve acknowledgement of the receipt of complaint. Approved…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

March 29, 2021: Approve acknowledgement of the receipt of complaint

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present

Motion made to approve acknowledgement of the receipt of complaint. Approved by vote of (3-0).

The minutes do not say who made this motion.

From the minutes

“Motion made to approve acknowledgement of the receipt of complaint. Approved by vote of (3-0)..”

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

Mar 29Approve the letter as read with the one change…Motion: Motion made to approve the letter as read with the one…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

March 29, 2021: Approve the letter as read with the one change to substitute the term "Search Committee" with "Screening Committee

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present

Motion made to approve the letter as read with the one change to substitute the term "Search Committee" with "Screening Committee". Approved by vote of (3-0).

The minutes do not say who made this motion.

From the minutes

“Motion made to approve the letter as read with the one change to substitute the term "Search Committee" with "Screening Committee". Approved by vote of (3-0)..”

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

Mar 29Implement plan for closure of Leonard St, with exception…Motion: Move to implement plan for closure of Leonard St, with exception…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

March 29, 2021: Implement plan for closure of Leonard St, with exception that Area 5 be closed off from parking; the plan will be active from May 3 to October 31, 2021

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present

Move to implement plan for closure of Leonard St, with exception that Area 5 be closed off from parking; the plan will be active from May 3 to October 31, 2021. Approved by vote of (3-0).

The minutes do not say who made this motion.

From the minutes

“Move to implement plan for closure of Leonard St, with exception that Area 5 be closed off from parking; the plan will be active from May 3 to October 31, 2021. Approved by vote of (3-0)..”

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

From the Belmont Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s Agenda Center (Select Board). We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos (the town’s website has no Select Board photos): The Belmontonian — Matthew Taylor and Carol Berberian (April 2026); Yates for Belmont campaign website — Taylor Yates. Cropped by MassVoter. Former members show initials.

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