MassVoter.com← BrewsterMunicipal votes · 2026–2027 Board
Brewster Select Board
How the Brewster Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. Laurel Labdon joined the board after the May 2026 town election; Ned Chatelain left. On May 21, 2026 the board chose Amanda Bebrin as Chair, Caroline McCarley as Vice Chair and Pete Dahl as Clerk. Covers 9 meetings so far, May 21 to August 31, 2026.
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 Brewster ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.
Start my ballot →Vote Transparency Score
Brewster Select Board: 6.5 out of 10 · Partly open
How easy Brewster makes it to see, online, how each member votes. It scores the town’s records, not any official. Checked October 4, 2026.
- Minutes postedMinutes are posted for most meetings, but some are missing.Part points: 1/2
- Each vote namedSplit votes are usually given only as a count, without names.Part points: 1/3
- Posted quicklyMinutes usually go up within about a month.Full points: 2/2
- Past years onlineSelect Board minutes going back to the 1990s are online.Full points: 1/1
- Readable textThe minutes have a text layer you can search, though they are scans.Full points: 1/1
- Member photosThe town’s website shows a group photo of the board with every member named, but no individual photos.Part points: 0.5/1
How the town can raise its score
- Minutes posted (+1): Post approved minutes for every meeting on the town website. Don’t require a sign-in to view them.
- Each vote named (+2): On any vote that isn’t unanimous, write how each member voted. For example: “Motion passed 3–2. Yes: Smith, Jones, Lee. No: Brown, Silva.” A roll call on split votes is the simplest way to do this.
- Member photos (+0.5): Show a photo of each member on the board’s web page, with their name, the date their term ends and how to contact them. A group photo of the members, with everyone named in the caption or on the same page, earns half a point.
How we score · Something wrong, or has the town made a change? Email info@massvoter.com and we’ll re-check.
A monthly email on its votes, starting in November. We'll also tell you if this score changes.
Board years
Coming up
MassVoter can’t read Brewster’s meeting calendar automatically yet. See upcoming meetings on the official site →
What Town Meeting decided
In Brewster, 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 · May 4, 2026 29 votes: 27 passed, 1 passed as amended, 1 indefinitely postponed
- Art. 1 FY2026 budget transfer: $100,000 from ambulance receipts to fire overtime Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 2 Cape Cod Regional Technical High School budget for FY2027: raise $1,857,881 Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 3 Elementary schools budget for FY2027: raise $13,802,339 Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 4 Additional $180,000 for elementary schools, contingent on a Proposition 2½ override vote Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 5 Nauset Regional School District budget for FY2027: raise $17,943,405 Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 6 Additional $550,000 for Nauset Regional School District, contingent on a Proposition 2½ override vote Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 7 Town operating budget for FY2027: $29,008,939 Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 8 Additional $1,250,000 for town operating expenses, contingent on a Proposition 2½ override vote Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 9 Water Department budget for FY2027: $3,168,592 from water receipts Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 10 Golf Department budget for FY2027: $5,649,948 from golf receipts Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 11 Community Preservation Committee FY2027 budget and appropriations Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 12 Acquire land at 0 W.H. Besse Cartway: $275,000 from CPA open space reserves (reconsidered; eminent domain struck) Passed as amended “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 13 Capital and special projects expenditures Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 14 Appropriate $375,000 from the Cable Franchise Fee fund for local cable television costs Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 15 Fund first-year costs of OPEIU Local 6 contract Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 16 Fund first-year costs of Brewster Ladies Library Association / SEIU Local 888 library contract Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 17 Fund first-year costs of SEIU Local 888 contract Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 18 Fund first-year costs of firefighters (IAFF Local 3763) contract Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 19 Fund first-year costs of Brewster Police Union contract Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 20 Fund first-year costs of police superior officers contract Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 21 Fund first-year costs of police public safety dispatchers contract Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 22 Fund July 1, 2026 wage and salary adjustments for non-union employees Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 23 Create a revolving fund for the pre-school family program Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 24 Reduce the Conservation Commission from seven to five members Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 25 Adopt a new Short-Term Rental Registration and Inspection bylaw (Chapter 160) Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 26 Accept the Seasonal Communities designation (MGL c.23B §32(b)) Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 27 Petition: require dogs to be leashed (amend Chapter 86) Indefinitely postponed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 28 Petition: accept a revised comprehensive plan for 500 W.H. Besse Cartway (Sea Camps Pond Property) Passed “Adopted by a majority vote. · Yes — 285, No — 120”
- Art. 29 Petition: transfer 500 W.H. Besse Cartway to conservation purposes and seek a special act Passed “Adopted by a two-thirds counted vote. · Yes - 264, No - 97”
Source: Town Clerk's Report of the May 4, 2026 Annual Town Meeting.
Special Town Meeting · November 17, 2025 14 votes: 12 passed, 1 passed as amended, 1 advisory
- Art. 1 Pay prior-year bills: $185 from free cash and $3,131.60 from golf retained earnings Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote. · 233 Yes – 0 No”
- Art. 2 Repeal or rescind unused borrowing authority Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 3 Transfer $387,216.95 from private road betterment receipts for FY2026 debt service Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 4 Appropriate $97,000 from free cash for Crosby Mansion overflow beach parking and revolving fund Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 5 Community Preservation Committee appropriations Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 6 Capital outlay expenditures Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 7 Sea Camps capital outlay expenditures Passed “ACTION on main MOTION: Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 8 Acquire a conservation restriction on about 20-22 acres at 379 Main Street, Harwich: $300,000 (eminent domain struck) Passed as amended “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 9 Create a short-term rental registration and inspection revolving fund Passed “ACTION on main MOTION: Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 10 Accept the report of the Short-Term Rental Task Force Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 11 Authorize contracts for property revaluations for up to five years Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 12 Zoning amendments, including replacing Accessory Commercial Dwelling Unit with Mixed Use Development Passed “Adopted by a Moderator declared two-thirds vote.”
- Art. 13 Petition: non-binding resolution on pollinator protection Advisory “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 14 Amend General Bylaw Section 12-7 (Alewife Committee) Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
Source: Town Clerk's Report of the November 17, 2025 Special Town Meeting.
Annual Town Meeting · May 5, 2025 21 votes: 18 passed, 1 failed, 1 indefinitely postponed, 1 advisory
- Art. 1 Pay prior-year bill: $360 from CPA historic preservation reserves Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 2 FY2025 budget transfer: $90,000 from ambulance receipts Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 3 Cape Cod Regional Technical High School budget for FY2026: raise $1,794,076 Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 4 Elementary schools budget for FY2026: raise $13,183,639 Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 5 Nauset Regional School District budget for FY2026: raise $17,220,661 Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 6 Town operating budget for FY2026: $27,737,255 Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 7 Water Department budget for FY2026: $3,086,434 from water receipts Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 8 Golf Department budget for FY2026: $4,827,049 from golf receipts Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 9 Community Preservation Committee FY2026 budget and appropriations Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 10 Capital and special projects expenditures Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 11 Transfer $250,000 from overlay funds for pre-school education programs Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 12 Appropriate $400,000 from the Cable Franchise Fee fund for local cable television costs Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 13 Accept c.59 §5 Clause 22I annual increase in veterans exemptions Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 14 Accept c.59 §5 Clause 22J annual increase in exemptions Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 15 Zoning: Water Quality Protection District and related amendments Passed “Adopted by a Moderator declared two-thirds.”
- Art. 16 Accept the report of the Short-Term Rental Task Force Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 17 Accept the report of the Nauset Regional Agreement Working Group Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 18 Petition: fund a town-wide Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (estimated $300,000) Indefinitely postponed “Adopted to Indefinitely Postpone.”
- Art. 19 Petition: non-binding resolution supporting Medicare for All legislation Advisory “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 20 Approve a Nauset Regional School District Special Education Stabilization Fund Passed “Adopted by a majority vote.”
- Art. 21 Petition: $35,000 from free cash for electronic voting at Town Meeting Failed “Defeated by a majority vote. · Yes -123, No - 131”
Source: Town Clerk's Report of the May 5, 2025 Annual Town Meeting.
Special Town Meeting · November 18, 2024 14 votes: 13 passed, 1 indefinitely postponed
- Art. 1 Pay prior-year bills: $40,809.03 from free cash Passed “Adopted Unanimously.”
- Art. 2 Community Preservation Committee appropriations Passed “Adopted by a Majority.”
- Art. 3 Capital and special projects expenditures, items 1 through 11 Passed “Adopted Unanimously.”
- 3.12a Sea Camps: $300,000 from free cash for a community center needs assessment Passed “Yes - 232 No - 153”
- 3.12b Sea Camps: reappropriate $32,000 for Brewster Community Pool equipment Passed “Adopted by a Majority.”
- 3.12c Sea Camps: $200,000 from free cash for planning and facilities maintenance Passed “Adopted by a Majority.”
- Art. 4 Transfer $720,543 from free cash for short-term debt on the Sea Camps Pond Property Passed “Adopted by a Majority.”
- Art. 5 Transfer $116,000 from free cash to the elementary school Special Education Stabilization Fund Passed “Adopted Unanimously.”
- Art. 6 Appropriate $11,400,000 to implement the Sea Camps comprehensive plans (passed on reconsideration) Passed “ACTION under Reconsideration Vote: Adopted by a 2/3 vote: · Yes - 239 No — 109”
- Art. 7 Zoning: Bay Property Overlay District amendments Passed “Adopted by a Moderator declared 2/3 vote.”
- Art. 8 Amend Affordable Housing Trust Fund bylaw (Chapter 18) wording Passed “Adopted by a Majority.”
- Art. 9 Adopt MGL c.138 §33B Indefinitely postponed “Adopted by a Majority.”
- Art. 10 Adopt MGL c.40U Passed “Adopted by a Majority.”
- Art. 11 Accept the report of the Short-Term Rental Task Force Passed “Adopted by a Majority.”
Source: Town Clerk's Report of the November 18, 2024 Special Town Meeting.
Annual Town Meeting · May 11, 2024 24 votes: 22 passed, 2 indefinitely postponed
- Art. 1 Pay prior-year bill: $615 from golf retained earnings Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 2 FY2024 budget transfer: $150,000 from ambulance receipts to fire overtime Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 3 Cape Cod Regional Technical High School budget for FY2025: raise $1,467,474 Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 4 Elementary schools budget for FY2025: raise $11,719,073 Passed “Adopted by a majority.”
- Art. 5 Additional $758,091 for elementary schools, contingent on a Proposition 2½ override vote Passed “Adopted by a majority.”
- Art. 6 Nauset Regional School District budget for FY2025: raise $17,019,204 Passed “Adopted by a majority.”
- Art. 7 Town operating budget for FY2025: $26,523,727 Passed “Adopted by a majority.”
- Art. 8 Water Department budget for FY2025: $2,986,144 from water receipts Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 9 Golf Department budget for FY2025: $4,606,233 from golf receipts Passed “Adopted by a majority.”
- Art. 10 Community Preservation Committee FY2025 budget and appropriations Passed “Adopted by a majority.”
- Art. 11 Acquire a conservation restriction on 12.36 acres at 0 Main Street: $230,000 from CPA open space reserves Passed “Adopted by a majority.”
- Art. 12 Capital and special projects expenditures Passed “Adopted by a majority.”
- Art. 13 Transfer $250,000 from overlay funds for pre-school education programs Passed “Adopted by a majority.”
- Art. 14 Appropriate $400,000 from the Cable Franchise Fee fund for local cable television costs Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 15 Increase revolving fund spending limits Passed “Adopted by a majority.”
- Art. 16 Adjust the Senior Tax Work-off Program exemption (c.59 §5K) Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 17 Adjust the Veterans Tax Work-off Program exemption (c.59 §5N) Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 18 Accept the comprehensive plan for the Sea Camps Bay Property, 3057 Main Street Passed “Adopted by a majority.”
- Art. 19 Accept the comprehensive plan for the Sea Camps Pond Property, 500 W.H. Besse Cartway Passed “ACTION on Main Motion: Adopted by a majority.”
- Art. 20 Acquire temporary easements by eminent domain to rehabilitate Millstone Road Passed “Adopted by a majority.”
- Art. 21 Borrow $471,070.88 for temporary repairs to six private roads, assessed as betterments Passed “Adopted by a Moderator declared 2/3 vote.”
- Art. 22 Accept the report of the Drummer Boy Park Advisory Committee Passed “Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
- Art. 23 Petition: create a short-term rental registration bylaw (Chapter 180) Indefinitely postponed “ACTION on Postponement: · Yes - 183, No - 94”
- Art. 24 Petition: limit short-term rentals to one per owner (two for full-time residents) Indefinitely postponed “Indefinitely Postponed.”
Source: Town Clerk's Report of the May 11, 2024 Annual Town Meeting.
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
ChairAmanda BebrinChair · Elected townwide · at 9 of 9 meetings✓ Every meeting 2026
Vice-ChairCaroline McCarleyVice Chair · Elected townwide · at 9 of 9 meetings
Mary ChaffeeMember · Elected townwide · at 9 of 9 meetings
Pete DahlClerk · Elected townwide · at 7 of 9 meetings✓ Every meeting 2026
Laurel LabdonMember · Elected townwide · at 9 of 9 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.
Attendance
22 full-board meetings so far this year, through August 31. Ties share a rank.
1Amanda Bebrin22 of 22 meetings Every meeting100%1Caroline McCarley22 of 22 meetings Every meeting100%1Laurel Labdon9 of 9 meetings · served from May Every meeting100%4Mary Chaffee21 of 22 meetings95%5Pete Dahl20 of 22 meetings91%6Ned Chatelain11 of 13 meetings · served until May85%35 full-board meetings in 2025. Ties share a rank.
1David Whitney16 of 16 meetings · served until May Every meeting100%2Amanda Bebrin34 of 35 meetings97%3Cynthia Bingham15 of 16 meetings · served until May94%4Mary Chaffee32 of 35 meetings91%5Pete Dahl17 of 19 meetings · served from Jun89%5Caroline McCarley17 of 19 meetings · served from Jun89%7Ned Chatelain30 of 35 meetings86%35 full-board meetings in 2024. Ties share a rank.
1Cynthia Bingham35 of 35 meetings Every meeting100%1Kari Hoffmann17 of 17 meetings · served until May Every meeting100%3Amanda Bebrin17 of 18 meetings · served from Jun94%4Ned Chatelain33 of 35 meetings94%4David Whitney33 of 35 meetings94%6Mary Chaffee32 of 35 meetings91%32 full-board meetings in 2023. Ties share a rank.
1Cynthia Bingham31 of 32 meetings97%1Mary Chaffee31 of 32 meetings97%1Kari Hoffmann31 of 32 meetings97%4Ned Chatelain30 of 32 meetings94%4David Whitney30 of 32 meetings94%34 full-board meetings in 2022. Ties share a rank.
1Cynthia Bingham33 of 34 meetings97%1David Whitney33 of 34 meetings97%3Ned Chatelain32 of 34 meetings94%3Kari Hoffmann32 of 34 meetings94%5Mary Chaffee31 of 34 meetings91%68 full-board meetings in 2021. Ties share a rank.
1David Whitney68 of 68 meetings Every meeting100%2Cynthia Bingham67 of 68 meetings99%2Mary Chaffee67 of 68 meetings99%4Kari Hoffmann38 of 39 meetings · served from May97%5Ben deRuyter27 of 29 meetings · served until May93%6Ned Chatelain61 of 68 meetings90%42 full-board meetings in 2020. Ties share a rank.
1Cynthia Bingham42 of 42 meetings Every meeting100%1David Whitney42 of 42 meetings Every meeting100%1Ned Chatelain23 of 23 meetings · served from Jun Every meeting100%4Mary Chaffee41 of 42 meetings98%5Ben deRuyter39 of 42 meetings93%6John Dickson13 of 19 meetings · served until Jun68%35 full-board meetings in 2019. Ties share a rank.
1Ben deRuyter35 of 35 meetings Every meeting100%2Cynthia Bingham34 of 35 meetings97%2David Whitney34 of 35 meetings97%4Mary Chaffee33 of 35 meetings94%5John Dickson25 of 35 meetings71%35 full-board meetings in 2018. Ties share a rank.
1Mary Chaffee18 of 19 meetings · served from May95%1Ben deRuyter18 of 19 meetings · served from May95%3Cynthia Bingham33 of 35 meetings94%3David Whitney33 of 35 meetings94%5James Foley15 of 16 meetings · served until May94%6John Dickson31 of 35 meetings89%7Peter Norton14 of 16 meetings · served until May88%From the official minutes: full-board meetings only (committee meetings are not counted). Members are counted only for meetings held while they served, and arriving late counts as attending. The minutes rarely say why a member was absent.
A monthly email on its votes and who was there, starting in November.
Meetings
About missing minutes
Loaded: every Select Board meeting from January 2018 through August 31, 2026 whose minutes are posted in the town’s online records archive (Laserfiche), 338 meetings in all, including 29 closed (executive session) meetings from 2020-2021 whose minutes the board has since released. Not here: 50 meetings since January 2018 that have an agenda but no minutes in the archive (including September 14, 2026 and September 28, 2026), and separate executive-session minutes for meetings whose open-session minutes are loaded (the vote to go into executive session is in the open-session minutes). Brewster’s minutes are scanned paper copies with a computer-read text layer; we read that text (and, for five files with a missing or unreadable text layer, our own text recognition), and checked split votes against the page images. The minutes name the mover and seconder of each motion and give the result as a count (for example 5-0); from 2020 to 2024 most votes are also roll calls with each member’s yes or no by name. When the count equals the number of members present and no one voted no, or the minutes say all members voted in favor, we show every member present as voting yes; when the minutes give a roll call, or name the members who voted no or abstained, we show each member’s vote as recorded. Where the minutes give only a count with no names (for example 4-1), or the count does not match the members present, or a roll call lists a member the minutes show as absent or lists a member twice, we show the count only and add a note. Votes where the minutes give no count and no names are shown as result only. Members who had not yet arrived, had left, or stepped aside (recused) are left out of that vote. Votes by other boards at joint meetings (Finance Committee, Board of Health, Planning Board, Conservation Commission and others) are not included. 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.
Jul 27Move approval of the consent agenda item CMotion: Move approval of the consent agenda item CPassed 4–0 · see note
July 27, 2026: Move approval of the consent agenda item C
Move approval of the consent agenda item C
The minutes give the vote as 4-0, but 5 members were present for this vote (Amanda Bebrin, Mary Chaffee, Pete Dahl, Laurel Labdon and Caroline McCarley). Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“Selectperson Dahl moved approval of the consent agenda item C. Selectperson Chaffee seconded the motion. The Select Board members voted in favor of the motion, 4- Yes, 0- No.” (Motion: Dahl, second: Chaffee)
Jul 13Move approval of the consent agenda item HMotion: Move approval of the consent agenda item HPassed 4–0 · see note
July 13, 2026: Move approval of the consent agenda item H
Move approval of the consent agenda item H
The minutes give only the count (4-0-1), not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Selectperson Dahl moved approval of the consent agenda item H. Selectperson McCarley seconded the motion. The Select Board members voted in favor of the motion, 4- Yes, 0- No, 1- abstain.” (Motion: Dahl, second: McCarley)
Jun 15Move approval of the consent agenda item FMotion: Move approval of the consent agenda item FPassed 4–0 · see note
June 15, 2026: Move approval of the consent agenda item F
Move approval of the consent agenda item F
The minutes give only the count (4-0-1), not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Selectperson Dahl moved approval of the consent agenda item F. Selectperson McCarley seconded the motion. The wsT 9 ' own of Brewster Select Board members voted in favor of the motion, 4- Yes, 0- No, 1- abstain.” (Motion: Dahl, second: McCarley)
From the Brewster Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s online records archive. We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: Town of Brewster (Select Board and Staff Biographies page).
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 →