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Stoughton Select Board
How the Stoughton Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide for three-year terms. After the spring 2018 town election the same five members reorganized on May 1, 2018: Stephen Cavey nominated Robert O’Regan as Chair and Richard Hill nominated Michael Sullivan as Vice Chair; both were chosen unanimously. (The town filed these minutes under March 1, 2018.) Almost no minutes from 2019 are online, so the end date is a placeholder. Covers 19 meetings, May 1 to December 18, 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 budgetYour Stoughton ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.
Start my ballot →Board years
Coming up
From the agendas Stoughton posts on its official site. Agendas can change; the posted agenda is the official one.
Members
Stephen CaveyMember · Elected townwide · at 18 of 19 meetingsRichard HillMember · Elected townwide · at 17 of 19 meetingsChristine HoweMember · Elected townwide · at 18 of 19 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: Stoughton Select Board (formerly the Board of Selectmen) minutes from January 2, 2018 through August 28, 2026, from the town’s Agenda Center. Big gap: the town’s website has minutes for only 2 of the board’s 2019 meetings and 13 of its 2020 meetings, plus more than 20 other meetings from 2018 to 2024 that have an agenda but no minutes; MassVoter is asking the town for them. A few files on the website are filed under the wrong date or hold a different meeting’s minutes; we load each file under the meeting it really records and list these for the town. Meetings after August 28, 2026 are not posted yet. Forums and information sessions listed with the board’s agendas have no minutes and are not shown. Nearly every minutes file is a scanned image, which MassVoter read with text recognition and checked by hand. Stoughton’s minutes name who made and seconded each motion and give a count (for example “the motion passed 5 - yes 0 - no”). When the count covers every member present with no one voting no or abstaining, or the minutes say the vote was unanimous, every member present is shown voting yes. When some members voted no or abstained and the minutes do not say who, we show the count only, with a note; we never guess who voted which way from the discussion. Older minutes (2018 to 2021) often list each member’s roll-call vote, and those are shown by name. Where the minutes give no count or names, we show the result only. Votes taken by other boards at joint meetings (for example the School Committee or the Board of Assessors) are left out, and members who recused themselves 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.
Dec 18Approve the Business License renewalMotion: Mr. Sullivan motioned to approve the Business License renewal and Ms.…Passed 4–1 · No: Cavey
December 18, 2018: Approve the Business License renewal
Mr. Sullivan motioned to approve the Business License renewal and Ms. Howe seconded it. The vote was passed 4 to 1. Mr. Cavey voted against the motion.
Yes: Hill, Howe, O'Regan, SullivanNo: Cavey
From the minutes
“Mr. Sullivan motioned to approve the Business License renewal and Ms. Howe seconded it. The vote was passed 4 to 1. Mr. Cavey voted against the motion..” (Motion: Sullivan, second: Howe)
Dec 18Approve the Business License RenewalMotion: Mr. Hill motioned to approve the Business License Renewal and Mr.…Passed 4–1 · No: Sullivan
December 18, 2018: Approve the Business License Renewal
Mr. Hill motioned to approve the Business License Renewal and Mr. Cavey seconded it. Mr. Sullivan was opposed. The vote was passed 4 to 1.
Yes: Cavey, Hill, Howe, O'ReganNo: Sullivan
From the minutes
“Mr. Hill motioned to approve the Business License Renewal and Mr. Cavey seconded it. Mr. Sullivan was opposed. The vote was passed 4 to 1..” (Motion: Hill, second: Cavey)
Dec 18Have the Board of Health inspect the business before…Motion: Mr. Hill had a follow up motion to have the Board…Passed 4–1 · No: Sullivan
December 18, 2018: Have the Board of Health inspect the business before the first Board meetings in January, June and December to make sure it complies
Mr. Hill had a follow up motion to have the Board of Health inspect for the 1* Board of Selectmen Meeting in January, the 1° Board of Selectmen Meeting in June and for the 1* Board of Selectmen Meeting in December to ensure all is satisfactory and in Compliance. Ms. Howe seconded the motion. Mr. Sullivan was opposed. The vote was passed 4 to 1, Nagoya Sushi, Inc.
Yes: Cavey, Hill, Howe, O'ReganNo: Sullivan
From the minutes
“Mr. Hill had a follow up motion to have the Board of Health inspect for the 1* Board of Selectmen Meeting in January, the 1° Board of Selectmen Meeting in June and for the 1* Board of Selectmen Meeting in December to ensure all is satisfactory and in Compliance. Ms. Howe seconded the motion. Mr. Sullivan was opposed. The vote was passed 4 to 1, Nagoya Sushi, Inc..” (Motion: Hill, second: Howe)
Dec 11Approve the sale of the sewer bondMotion: C. Sale of Sewer Bond - Mr. O'Regan had to read…Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note
December 11, 2018: Approve the sale of the sewer bond
C. Sale of Sewer Bond - Mr. O'Regan had to read the motion out loud. Mr. Sullivan seconded the motion. The vote was passed unanimously.
The minutes say Mr. O'Regan read the motion aloud.
From the minutes
“C. Sale of Sewer Bond - Mr. O'Regan had to read the motion out loud. Mr. Sullivan seconded the motion. The vote was passed unanimously..” (Motion: O'Regan, second: Sullivan)
Nov 13Abate $1,500.00 plus interest & penalties on Q1 2018…Motion: Mr. Sullivan motioned to abate $1,500.00 plus interest & penalties on…Passed 4–1 · see note
November 13, 2018: Abate $1,500.00 plus interest & penalties on Q1 2018 and it was
Mr. Sullivan motioned to abate $1,500.00 plus interest & penalties on Q1 2018 and it was seconded by Ms. Howe. The vote was passed 4 to 1.
The minutes give only the count (4-1), not who voted no or abstained.
From the minutes
“Mr. Sullivan motioned to abate $1,500.00 plus interest & penalties on Q1 2018 and it was seconded by Ms. Howe. The vote was passed 4 to 1..” (Motion: Sullivan, second: Howe)
Nov 13Issue full abatement in the amount of $3,066.91 plus…Motion: Mr. Hill motioned to issue full abatement in the amount of…Passed 4–1 · see note
November 13, 2018: Issue full abatement in the amount of $3,066.91 plus penalty & interest
Mr. Hill motioned to issue full abatement in the amount of $3,066.91 plus penalty & interest. Mr. Sullivan seconded the motion. The vote was 4 to 1 so full abatement plus penalties & interest will be issued.
The minutes give only the count (4-1), not who voted no or abstained.
From the minutes
“Mr. Hill motioned to issue full abatement in the amount of $3,066.91 plus penalty & interest. Mr. Sullivan seconded the motion. The vote was 4 to 1 so full abatement plus penalties & interest will be issued..” (Motion: Hill, second: Sullivan)
Sep 4In order to avoid unnecessary and costly use of…Motion: In order to avoid unnecessary and costly use of his services,…Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note
September 4, 2018: In order to avoid unnecessary and costly use of his services, the Board of Selectmen
In order to avoid unnecessary and costly use of his services, the Board of Selectmen, by unanimous vote, has adopted the following guidelines, which shall govern access to and the use of Town Counsel by employees of the Town of Stoughton. § 205-2 Direct access.
The minutes do not say who made this motion.
From the minutes
“In order to avoid unnecessary and costly use of his services, the Board of Selectmen, by unanimous vote, has adopted the following guidelines, which shall govern access to and the use of Town Counsel by employees of the Town of Stoughton. § 205-2 Direct access..”
May 15Grant the (2) 1-Day alcohol licenses and parade permit…Motion: Mr. Sullivan motioned to grant the (2) 1-Day alcohol licenses and…Failed 2–3 · see note
May 15, 2018: Grant the (2) 1-Day alcohol licenses and parade permit for June 2-3, 2018
Mr. Sullivan motioned to grant the (2) 1-Day alcohol licenses and parade permit for June 2-3, 2018. Ms. Howe seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
The minutes give only the count (2-3), not who voted no or abstained.
From the minutes
“Mr. Sullivan motioned to grant the (2) 1-Day alcohol licenses and parade permit for June 2-3, 2018. Ms. Howe seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously..” (Motion: Sullivan, second: Howe)
May 15Name Christine Howe and Michael Sullivan to work with…Motion: Mr. Sullivan nominated Ms. Howe and Ms. Howe nominated Mr. Sullivan…Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note
May 15, 2018: Name Christine Howe and Michael Sullivan to work with the School Committee on polling locations
Mr. Sullivan nominated Ms. Howe and Ms. Howe nominated Mr. Sullivan to work with the School committee to work on polling locations. Mr. Hill seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Sullivan nominated Ms. Howe and Ms. Howe nominated Mr. Sullivan; Mr. Hill seconded.
From the minutes
“Mr. Sullivan nominated Ms. Howe and Ms. Howe nominated Mr. Sullivan to work with the School committee to work on polling locations. Mr. Hill seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously..” (Motion: Sullivan, second: Hill)
May 1Choose Robert O'Regan as Chair (Stephen Cavey's nomination; Richard…Motion: Mr. Cavey motioned to nominate Mr. O'Regan as chairman. Mr. Hill…Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note
May 1, 2018: Choose Robert O'Regan as Chair (Stephen Cavey's nomination; Richard Hill moved to close the nominations)
Mr. Cavey motioned to nominate Mr. O'Regan as chairman. Mr. Hill motioned to close the nominations. Roll Call: Mr. Cavey, Ms. Howe, Mr. O'Regan, Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Hill all voted yes.
The minutes record the roll call (all five yes) right after Mr. Cavey's nomination of Mr. O'Regan as chairman and Mr. Hill's motion to close the nominations.
From the minutes
“Mr. Cavey motioned to nominate Mr. O'Regan as chairman. Mr. Hill motioned to close the nominations. Roll Call: Mr. Cavey, Ms. Howe, Mr. O'Regan, Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Hill all voted yes..” (Motion: Cavey)
From the Stoughton 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. Select Board member photos: video stills from Stoughton Media Access Corporation (SMAC, Stoughton’s local cable TV), each from a program that names the member on screen: Joseph Mokrisky from “Community Forum - Joe Mokrisky - Chairman of Select Board” (2021); Debra Roberts from “Stoughton Politics with...This Guy: Talking with Debra Roberts” (2025); Stephen Cavey from “Stoughton Politics with... This Guy: Interview with Select Board Chair Stephen Cavey” (2025); Scott Carrara from “Community Forum - Scott Carrara - Running for Stoughton Board of Selectmen” (2021); Lori Jacques from “A Lioness & You on the Watch: Interview with Select Board Candidate Lori Jacques” (2026). Former members show initials.
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