MassVoter.com← CantonMunicipal votes · 2017–2018 Board
Canton Select Board
How the Canton Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. The Board of Selectmen had five members: Chairman John J. Connolly, Vice Chairman Mark J. Porter, Clerk Kevin T. Feeney, Christopher J. Connolly and Thomas W. Theodore. MassVoter has loaded this board’s minutes from January 9, 2018 on. The April 2018 town election did not change the members. Covers 13 meetings, January 9 to May 16, 2018.
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 budgetBoard years
Coming up
MassVoter can’t read Canton’s meeting calendar automatically yet. See upcoming meetings on the official site →
Members
"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: Select Board minutes (called the Board of Selectmen until 2020) from January 9, 2018 through August 25, 2026, from the town’s Laserfiche records archive, which holds Select Board minutes back to 2002 (MassVoter has loaded 2018 on). The town has not posted open-session minutes for 62 meeting dates from 2021 to August 2026 that are listed in its Agenda Center (most of them from June to December 2021, February to December 2022 and February to September 2023, plus three in 2024, six in 2025 and two in 2026), or for any meeting after August 25, 2026. For 27 of those dates the town has posted only the executive-session minutes; we load those as the record of that meeting and say so. Joint meetings with other boards are included, but only the Select Board’s own votes. The minutes are scanned pages with a text layer; ten 2021 files had no text layer, so MassVoter read them with text recognition. Canton’s minutes give the mover, the seconder and the count for almost every vote (“Motion: Mr. J. McCourt Second: Ms. T. Boyden Vote: 5-0”), and split votes name the members who voted no, abstained or stepped aside in brackets (“Vote: 3-2 (Ms. Harrington and Ms. Boyden opposed)”). Remote meetings in 2020–2021 and executive-session votes use roll calls listing each member’s vote. When the count matches the members present, or every member answered in the affirmative, we show every member present as voting yes; when the minutes name the members who voted no or abstained and the count adds up, everyone else present as voting yes. Where the minutes give a split count without names, a roll call leaves out a member who was there or names one the attendance line does not show, or the count does not match the members present, we show the count only and add a note. Motions written down with no vote are shown with the result only. Two members named Connolly (John J. and Christopher J.) served together until 2023; where the minutes say only “Mr. Connolly” we do not guess which one. Members who stepped aside (recused), had not yet arrived or had left are left out of that vote. 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.
May 16Approve the BOS meeting schedule from June 2018-December 2018Motion: to approve the BOS meeting schedule from June 2018-December 2018Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note
May 16, 2018: Approve the BOS meeting schedule from June 2018-December 2018
To approve the BOS meeting schedule from June 2018-December 2018
The minutes name “Mr. Connolly” as the seconder while two members named Connolly (John J. and Christopher J.) were on the board, so no seconder is shown.
From the minutes
“Motion was made to approve the BOS meeting schedule from June 2018-December 2018 Motion: Mr. Feeney Second: Mr. Connolly Vote: 5-0.” (Motion: Feeney)
May 16Approve the application to obtain a (special) license to…Motion: to approve the application to obtain a (special) license to serve…Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note
May 16, 2018: Approve the application to obtain a (special) license to serve alcoholic beverages at a One-Day Event for to be held at St. John's School, 696 Washington Street on June 1,…
To approve the application to obtain a (special) license to serve alcoholic beverages at a One-Day Event for to be held at St. John's School, 696 Washington Street on June 1, 2018 from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. contingent upon Building Commissioner and Fire Chief approval
The minutes name “Mr. Connolly” as the seconder while two members named Connolly (John J. and Christopher J.) were on the board, so no seconder is shown.
From the minutes
“Motion was made to approve the application to obtain a (special) license to serve alcoholic beverages at a One-Day Event for to be held at St. John's School, 696 Washington Street on June 1, 2018 from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. contingent upon Building Commissioner and Fire Chief approval. Motion: Mr. Feeney Second: Mr. Connolly Vote: 5-0.” (Motion: Feeney)
May 16Approve the application to obtain a (special) license to…Motion: to approve the application to obtain a (special) license to serve…Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note
May 16, 2018: Approve the application to obtain a (special) license to serve alcoholic beverages at a One-Day Event for to be held at Ponkapoag Golf Course, 1261 Washington Street on May 25,…
To approve the application to obtain a (special) license to serve alcoholic beverages at a One-Day Event for to be held at Ponkapoag Golf Course, 1261 Washington Street on May 25, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. contingent upon Building Commissioner and Fire Chief approval
The minutes name “Mr. Connolly” as the seconder while two members named Connolly (John J. and Christopher J.) were on the board, so no seconder is shown.
From the minutes
“Motion was made to approve the application to obtain a (special) license to serve alcoholic beverages at a One-Day Event for to be held at Ponkapoag Golf Course, 1261 Washington Street on May 25, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. contingent upon Building Commissioner and Fire Chief approval. Motion: Mr. Feeney Second: Mr. Connolly Vote: 5-0.” (Motion: Feeney)
May 16Appoint Sharon Johnson as Zoning Board of Appeals Secretary,…Motion: to appoint Sharon Johnson as Zoning Board of Appeals Secretary, part…Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note
May 16, 2018: Appoint Sharon Johnson as Zoning Board of Appeals Secretary, part time without benefits
To appoint Sharon Johnson as Zoning Board of Appeals Secretary, part time without benefits
The minutes name “Mr. Connolly” as the seconder while two members named Connolly (John J. and Christopher J.) were on the board, so no seconder is shown.
From the minutes
“Motion was made to appoint Sharon Johnson as Zoning Board of Appeals Secretary, part time without benefits. Motion: Mr. Feeney Second: Mr. Connolly Vote: 5-0.” (Motion: Feeney)
May 16Appoint Daniel Ouzounian as Forestry ForemanMotion: to appoint Daniel Ouzounian as Forestry ForemanPassed Unanimous, 5 present · see note
May 16, 2018: Appoint Daniel Ouzounian as Forestry Foreman
To appoint Daniel Ouzounian as Forestry Foreman
The minutes name “Mr. Connolly” as the seconder while two members named Connolly (John J. and Christopher J.) were on the board, so no seconder is shown.
From the minutes
“Motion was made to appoint Daniel Ouzounian as Forestry Foreman. Motion: Mr. Feeney Second: Mr. Connolly Vote: 5-0.” (Motion: Feeney)
May 16Appoint Darin Moriarity and Julianna Murray as Permanent Intermittent…Motion: to appoint Darin Moriarity and Julianna Murray as Permanent Intermittent Police…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
May 16, 2018: Appoint Darin Moriarity and Julianna Murray as Permanent Intermittent Police Officers
To appoint Darin Moriarity and Julianna Murray as Permanent Intermittent Police Officers
The minutes name “Mr. Connolly” as the seconder while two members named Connolly (John J. and Christopher J.) were on the board, so no seconder is shown. Thomas W. Theodore had left the meeting.
From the minutes
“Motion was made to appoint Darin Moriarity and Julianna Murray as Permanent Intermittent Police Officers. Motion: Mr. Feeney Second: Mr. Connolly Vote: 4-0.” (Motion: Feeney)
May 16Appoint James Penza as Interim Cemetery Foreman, part time…Motion: to appoint James Penza as Interim Cemetery Foreman, part time without…Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note
May 16, 2018: Appoint James Penza as Interim Cemetery Foreman, part time without benefits
To appoint James Penza as Interim Cemetery Foreman, part time without benefits
The minutes name “Mr. Connolly” as the seconder while two members named Connolly (John J. and Christopher J.) were on the board, so no seconder is shown.
From the minutes
“Motion was made to appoint James Penza as Interim Cemetery Foreman, part time without benefits. Motion: Mr. Feeney Second: Mr. Connolly Vote: 5-0.” (Motion: Feeney)
May 16Award SERSG contract for Paper and Water Sewer Treatment…Motion: to award SERSG contract for Paper and Water Sewer Treatment Chemicals…Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note
May 16, 2018: Award SERSG contract for Paper and Water Sewer Treatment Chemicals for FY19
To award SERSG contract for Paper and Water Sewer Treatment Chemicals for FY19
The minutes name “Mr. Connolly” as the seconder while two members named Connolly (John J. and Christopher J.) were on the board, so no seconder is shown.
From the minutes
“Motion was made to award SERSG contract for Paper and Water Sewer Treatment Chemicals for FY19. Motion: Mr. Feeney Second: Mr. Connolly Vote: 5-0.” (Motion: Feeney)
May 16Approve Chapter 90 Project Request applications done by the…Motion: to approve Chapter 90 Project Request applications done by the engineering…Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note
May 16, 2018: Approve Chapter 90 Project Request applications done by the engineering department in the amount of $786,743 includes work on several streets
To approve Chapter 90 Project Request applications done by the engineering department in the amount of $786,743 includes work on several streets
The minutes name “Mr. Connolly” as the seconder while two members named Connolly (John J. and Christopher J.) were on the board, so no seconder is shown.
From the minutes
“Motion was made to approve Chapter 90 Project Request applications done by the engineering department in the amount of $786,743 includes work on several streets. Motion: Mr. Feeney Second: Mr. Connolly Vote: 5-0.” (Motion: Feeney)
May 16Deny the Hackney License Application for Mr. Jay Lipis…Motion: to deny the Hackney License Application for Mr. Jay Lipis as…Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note
May 16, 2018: Deny the Hackney License Application for Mr. Jay Lipis as recommended by the Police Department
To deny the Hackney License Application for Mr. Jay Lipis as recommended by the Police Department
The minutes name “Mr. Connolly” as the seconder while two members named Connolly (John J. and Christopher J.) were on the board, so no seconder is shown.
From the minutes
“Motion was made to deny the Hackney License Application for Mr. Jay Lipis as recommended by the Police Department. Motion: Mr. Feeney Second: Mr. Connolly Vote: 5-0.” (Motion: Feeney)
From the Canton Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s Laserfiche records archive. We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: The Canton Citizen (Susan M. Harrington, John R. McCourt, Michael C. Loughran and Julie Beckham, from their candidacy announcements; Patricia M. Boyden cropped from a captioned photo of the board by Moira Sweetland, February 2026).
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