MassVoter.com← CohassetMunicipal votes · 2026–2027 Board
Cohasset Select Board
How the Cohasset Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide for three-year terms. William Ashton and Gregory Watts joined after the May 9, 2026 election; Chris Plecs left, and Gregory Watts took the seat Julie Rollins had left (term to 2028). Reorganized May 12, 2026: David Farrag chair, Ellen Maher vice chair, William Ashton clerk. Matches the town’s current roster (October 9, 2026). End date is a placeholder until the 2027 reorganization. Covers 13 meetings so far, May 12 to September 22, 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 Cohasset ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.
Start my ballot →Vote Transparency Score
Cohasset Select Board: 7 out of 10 · Mostly open
How easy Cohasset makes it to see, online, how each member votes. It scores the town’s records, not any official. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Minutes postedMinutes are online for nearly every meeting.Full points: 2/2
- Each vote namedVotes name each Select Board member, including on split votes.Full points: 3/3
- Posted quicklyMost minutes are posted within three months.Part points: 1/2
- Past years onlineSelect Board minutes from 2013 to today are online.Full points: 1/1
- Readable textMany recent minutes are scanned images, not searchable text.No points: 0/1
- Member photosThe town’s website lists the members by name only.No points: 0/1
How the town can raise its score
- Posted quickly (+1): Post minutes within 30 days. If approval takes longer, post a draft marked “Draft – not yet approved” and replace it later.
- Readable text (+1): Save minutes straight from Word or Google Docs as a PDF instead of printing and scanning them. If a scan is needed, turn on the scanner’s “searchable PDF” or text-recognition setting.
- Member photos (+1): 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 Cohasset’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.
Attendance
29 full-board meetings so far this year, through September 22. Ties share a rank.
1Paul Grady29 of 29 meetings Every meeting100%1Ellen Maher29 of 29 meetings Every meeting100%1William Ashton13 of 13 meetings · served from May Every meeting100%1Gregory Watts13 of 13 meetings · served from May Every meeting100%1Julie Rollins6 of 6 meetings · served until Feb Every meeting100%6David Farrag28 of 29 meetings97%7Chris Plecs8 of 16 meetings · served until May50%36 full-board meetings in 2025. Ties share a rank.
1Paul Grady36 of 36 meetings Every meeting100%1Ellen Maher36 of 36 meetings Every meeting100%3David Farrag33 of 36 meetings92%4Chris Plecs32 of 36 meetings89%5Julie Rollins18 of 22 meetings · served from May82%6Jack Creighton10 of 14 meetings · served until May71%35 full-board meetings in 2024. Ties share a rank.
1Paul Grady35 of 35 meetings Every meeting100%1Ellen Maher35 of 35 meetings Every meeting100%1Jean Healey Dippold18 of 18 meetings · served until Jun Every meeting100%1David Farrag17 of 17 meetings · served from Jun Every meeting100%5Chris Plecs31 of 35 meetings89%6Jack Creighton30 of 35 meetings86%39 full-board meetings in 2023. Ties share a rank.
1Jean Healey Dippold39 of 39 meetings Every meeting100%1Ellen Maher26 of 26 meetings · served from May Every meeting100%3Chris Plecs25 of 26 meetings · served from May96%4Jack Creighton36 of 39 meetings92%4Corey Evans12 of 13 meetings · served until May92%6Paul Grady35 of 39 meetings90%7Diane Kennedy11 of 13 meetings · served until May85%36 full-board meetings in 2022. Ties share a rank.
1Jack Creighton36 of 36 meetings Every meeting100%1Paul Grady22 of 22 meetings · served from May Every meeting100%3Jean Healey Dippold35 of 36 meetings97%3Corey Evans35 of 36 meetings97%5Keri Thompson13 of 14 meetings · served until May93%6Diane Kennedy32 of 36 meetings89%32 full-board meetings in 2021. Ties share a rank.
1Corey Evans32 of 32 meetings Every meeting100%1Diane Kennedy32 of 32 meetings Every meeting100%1Keri Thompson32 of 32 meetings Every meeting100%1Jean Healey Dippold16 of 16 meetings · served from Jun Every meeting100%1Paul Schubert16 of 16 meetings · served until Jun Every meeting100%6Jack Creighton29 of 32 meetings91%35 full-board meetings in 2020. Ties share a rank.
1Diane Kennedy35 of 35 meetings Every meeting100%1Kevin McCarthy18 of 18 meetings · served until Jun Every meeting100%1Corey Evans17 of 17 meetings · served from Jun Every meeting100%4Jack Creighton34 of 35 meetings97%4Keri Thompson34 of 35 meetings97%6Paul Schubert33 of 35 meetings94%29 full-board meetings in 2019. Ties share a rank.
1Diane Kennedy29 of 29 meetings Every meeting100%1Kevin McCarthy29 of 29 meetings Every meeting100%1Paul Schubert29 of 29 meetings Every meeting100%1Keri Thompson17 of 17 meetings · served from May Every meeting100%5Jack Creighton16 of 17 meetings · served from May94%6Jack Keniley11 of 12 meetings · served until May92%7Steve Gaumer10 of 12 meetings · served until May83%29 full-board meetings in 2018. Ties share a rank.
1Diane Kennedy29 of 29 meetings Every meeting100%1Kevin McCarthy29 of 29 meetings Every meeting100%1Paul Schubert29 of 29 meetings Every meeting100%4Steve Gaumer27 of 29 meetings93%4Jack Keniley27 of 29 meetings93%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: Cohasset Select Board minutes (called the Board of Selectmen until 2020) from January 2, 2018 through September 22, 2026, from the town’s Agenda Center, which has minutes back to 2013. The town posts minutes for nearly every meeting; 32 meetings since 2018 have an agenda but no minutes (most in 2018–2022, plus July 28, 2026), and the June 12, 2018 minutes file would not open. We list every meeting without minutes. Most minutes are typed; 55 are scanned images, which MassVoter read with text recognition and checked by hand. Most votes are roll calls by name or recorded as unanimous, so we show each member’s vote. When the minutes give only a count that doesn’t match the members present, or only the result, we show that without guessing. Motions with no recorded result (including four 2021 and 2026 roll calls where each member answered “present”) are left out. When members chose between candidates for an office, we show the result and quote each member’s choice in a note. At joint meetings, 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.
Sep 22Recommend Article 4 to town meeting for the Cohasset…Motion: to recommend Article 4 to town meeting for the Cohasset Middle…Passed 4–1 · see note
September 22, 2026: Recommend Article 4 to town meeting for the Cohasset Middle High School feasibility study
To recommend Article 4 to town meeting for the Cohasset Middle High School feasibility study
The minutes give only the count (4-1), not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“William Ashton: Motion to recommend Article 4 to town meeting for the Cohasset Middle High School feasibility study.; Second: Gregory Watts; Vote: 4-1-0 — PASSED.” (Motion: Ashton, second: Watts)
Sep 22Not recommend Article 14 Citizens Petition Surveillance Technology Oversight…Motion: to not recommend Article 14 Citizens Petition Surveillance Technology Oversight BylawPassed 4–1 · No: Ashton
September 22, 2026: Not recommend Article 14 Citizens Petition Surveillance Technology Oversight Bylaw
To not recommend Article 14 Citizens Petition Surveillance Technology Oversight Bylaw
Yes: Farrag, Grady, Maher, WattsNo: Ashton
From the minutes
“Gregory Watts: Motion to not recommend Article 14 Citizens Petition Surveillance Technology Oversight Bylaw.; Second: Paul L. Grady, Jr.; Vote: 4-1-0 (William Ashton-No, Gregory Watts-Yes, Ellen Maher-Yes, Paul L. Grady, Jr.-Yes, David Farrag-Yes) — PASSED.” (Motion: Watts, second: Grady)
Sep 15For Emily Johnston for the position of citizenMotion: for Emily Johnston for the position of citizenFailed 1–4 · see note
September 15, 2026: For Emily Johnston for the position of citizen
For Emily Johnston for the position of citizen
The minutes give only the count (1-4), not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“William Ashton: Motion for Emily Johnston for the position of citizen.; Second: Paul L. Grady, Jr.; Vote: 1-4-0 — FAILED.” (Motion: Ashton, second: Grady)
Sep 8Recommend the citizens petition to repeal the water bottle…Motion: to recommend the citizens petition to repeal the water bottle banPassed 3–2 · see note
September 8, 2026: Recommend the citizens petition to repeal the water bottle ban
To recommend the citizens petition to repeal the water bottle ban
The minutes give only the count (3-2), not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Paul L. Grady, Jr.: Motion to recommend the citizens petition to repeal the water bottle ban.; Second: Gregory Watts; Vote: 3-2-0 — PASSED.” (Motion: Grady, second: Watts)
Sep 8Recommend the citizens petition noise control bylawMotion: to recommend the citizens petition noise control bylawFailed 2–3 · No: Grady, Maher, Watts
September 8, 2026: Recommend the citizens petition noise control bylaw
To recommend the citizens petition noise control bylaw
Yes: Ashton, FarragNo: Grady, Maher, Watts
From the minutes
“Paul L. Grady, Jr.: Motion to recommend the citizens petition noise control bylaw.; Second: Gregory Watts; Vote: 2-3-0 (David Farrag-Yes, William Ashton-Yes, Paul L. Grady, Jr.-No, Ellen Maher-No, Gregory Watts-No) — FAILED.” (Motion: Grady, second: Watts)
Aug 11The Cohasset Select Board has a Cohasset Harbor Forum…Motion: that the Cohasset Select Board has a Cohasset Harbor Forum limited…Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Ashton
August 11, 2026: The Cohasset Select Board has a Cohasset Harbor Forum limited to dealing with the liabilities, have town counsel present, and discuss the land underwater regarding the moorings with a brief...
That the Cohasset Select Board has a Cohasset Harbor Forum limited to dealing with the liabilities, have town counsel present, and discuss the land underwater regarding the moorings with a brief history of Cohasset Harbor included
Yes: Farrag, Grady, Maher, WattsAbstained: Ashton
From the minutes
“P. Jr.: Motion that the Cohasset Select Board has a Cohasset Harbor Forum limited to dealing with the liabilities, have town counsel present, and discuss the land underwater regarding the moorings with a brief history of Cohasset Harbor included.; Second: G. Watts; Vote: 4-0-0 (David Farrag-Yes, Ellen Maher-Yes, Gregory Watts-Yes, Paul L. Grady, Jr.-Yes, William Ashton-Abstain) — PASSED.” (Motion: Grady, second: Watts)
Aug 4Issue the one-day liquor license for Cohasset Community Assistance…Motion: to issue the one-day liquor license for Cohasset Community Assistance Fund,…Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Ashton
August 4, 2026: Issue the one-day liquor license for Cohasset Community Assistance Fund, St. Stephen's Church, Chow Cohasset Pasta Dinner on September 19, 2026, from 6 to 9 p.m
To issue the one-day liquor license for Cohasset Community Assistance Fund, St. Stephen's Church, Chow Cohasset Pasta Dinner on September 19, 2026, from 6 to 9 p.m
Yes: Farrag, Grady, Maher, WattsAbstained: Ashton
From the minutes
“P. Jr.: Motion to issue the one-day liquor license for Cohasset Community Assistance Fund, St. Stephen's Church, Chow Cohasset Pasta Dinner on September 19, 2026, from 6 to 9 p.m.; Second: G. Watts; Vote: 4-0-1 (David Farrag-Yes, Ellen Maher-Yes, Gregory Watts-Yes, Paul L. Grady, Jr.-Yes, William Ashton-Abstain) — PASSED.” (Motion: Grady, second: Watts)
Aug 4Approve the Open Space and Recreation Committee charge from…Motion: to approve the Open Space and Recreation Committee charge from the…Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Grady
August 4, 2026: Approve the Open Space and Recreation Committee charge from the select board in its final draft
To approve the Open Space and Recreation Committee charge from the select board in its final draft
Yes: Ashton, Farrag, Maher, WattsAbstained: Grady
From the minutes
“G. Watts: Motion to approve the Open Space and Recreation Committee charge from the select board in its final draft.; Second: W. Ashton; Vote: 4-0-1 (David Farrag-Yes, Ellen Maher-Yes, Gregory Watts-Yes, William Ashton-Yes, Paul L. Grady, Jr.-Abstain) — PASSED.” (Motion: Watts, second: Ashton)
Jun 16Approve Nona's Ice Cream renewal of transient vendor licenseMotion: to approve Nona's Ice Cream renewal of transient vendor license.Passed 4–0 · see note
June 16, 2026: Approve Nona's Ice Cream renewal of transient vendor license
To approve Nona's Ice Cream renewal of transient vendor license.
The minutes give only the count (4-0-1), not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Motion: Motion to approve Nona's Ice Cream renewal of transient vendor license. Made by: Select Member Watts Second: Select Member Ashton Vote: 4-0-1 — PASSED.” (Motion: Watts, second: Ashton)
From the Cohasset Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s Agenda Center. We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials.
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 →