How the Swansea Board of Selectmen voted, from the Board of Selectmen’s official minutes. 3 Selectmen elected townwide. Michael K. Beaudette joined the board in April 2024. Covers 30 meetings, April 9 to March 25, 2025.
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
What does the Board of Selectmen 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 Board of Selectmen, votes the town budget and town bylaws.
In Swansea, Town Meeting — not the Board of Selectmen — 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.
Special Town Meeting · October 28, 2024 15 votes: 15 passed
Art. 1Appropriate $25,000 by taxation as grant match for Hailes Hill Road culvert upgrade designPassed“Motion carried by a Majority.”
Art. 5Appropriate $200,000 by taxation for school security assessments, training and studiesPassed“Motion carried by a Majority.”
Art. 6Spend $30,000 of CPA reserves for Seekonk Land Conservation Trust monitoring of 1100 Bark Street restrictionPassed“Motion carried by a Majority.”
Art. 3Confirm Moderator appointments of five members to the Advisory and Finance Committee through 2027Passed“Motion carried by a Majority.”
Art. 4Fix salaries of elected Town officers for FY2025 (e.g., Town Clerk $83,281; Treasurer $98,968)Passed“Motion carried by a Majority.”
Art. 5FY2025 operating budget, line items 1-109: $46,328,124 by taxation plus $25,786 from Beach Receipts ReservedPassed“Motion carried by a Majority.”
Art. 6Authorize Selectmen to accept and contract for state/county funds for roads, bikeways and waterwaysPassed“Motion carried Unanimously.”
Art. 29Appropriate $86,000 by taxation for the firefighters Length of Service Awards ProgramPassed“Motion carried by a Majority.”
Art. 30Home rule petition to allow up to six more all-alcohol on-premises licenses in the Swansea Mall areaPassed“Motion carried Unanimously.”
Art. 31General bylaw: remove appointed board members who miss three straight or 25% of meetingsPassed“Motion carried Unanimously.”
Art. 32General bylaw: let Treasurer, with Selectmen approval, sell tax-title land without further Town Meeting votePassed“Motion carried by a Majority.”
Art. 33General bylaw: rewrite dumping ban and add ban on discharging water onto public ways, with finesPassed“Motion carried by a Majority.”
Art. 34General bylaw: replace rules on construction in public ways (driveway and excavation permits, surety, fines)Passed“Motion passes. · YES-134. NO-95.”
Not here yet: the Special Town Meeting held May 20, 2024 alongside the Annual Town Meeting, the May 19, 2025 Annual and Special Town Meetings, and any 2026 Town Meetings; no results for these were posted online that we could reach.
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).
"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
Not here yet: the town has posted Board of Selectmen minutes online only from January 2020, and some meetings have an agenda but no minutes online. Several minutes from 2020 to 2022 and 2026 are scanned documents, which we read with text recognition. Most votes are recorded as unanimous. When only two Selectmen are present, the minutes often say a motion “passed by a majority” without saying how each voted; those votes are noted and individual votes are not shown. Votes by other boards at joint meetings (such as the Sewer Commission, Planning Board or Water District) are not included. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.
Most board votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one member voted no or abstained, newest first.
Mar 18Establish the Health Insurance Advisory CommitteeMotion: to establish the Health Insurance Advisory CommitteePassed · see note
March 18, 2025: Establish the Health Insurance Advisory Committee
ApprovePassed · No count or names in the minutes
To establish the Health Insurance Advisory Committee
The minutes say the motion passed by a majority but do not say how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Motion made by Mr. Beaudette, seconded by Mr. Medeiros to establish the Health Insurance Advisory Committee. PASSES BY MAJORITY.” (Motion: Beaudette, second: Medeiros)
Mar 11Appoint Seth Aitken of Swansea, Massachusetts to the Zoning…Motion: to appoint Seth Aitken of Swansea, Massachusetts to the Zoning Board…Passed · see note
March 11, 2025: Appoint Seth Aitken of Swansea, Massachusetts to the Zoning Board of Appeals with a term to begin on March 7, 2025, and term to end on June 30, 2027. Medeiros,…
AppointPassed · No count or names in the minutes
To appoint Seth Aitken of Swansea, Massachusetts to the Zoning Board of Appeals with a term to begin on March 7, 2025, and term to end on June 30, 2027. Medeiros, yes; Kitchin, yes; Beaudette, no
The minutes say the motion passed by a majority but do not say how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Motion made by Mr. Kitchin, seconded by Mr. Medeiros to appoint Seth Aitken of Swansea, Massachusetts to the Zoning Board of Appeals with a term to begin on March 7, 2025, and term to end on June 30, 2027. Medeiros, yes; Kitchin, yes; Beaudette, no. Passes by Majority.” (Motion: Kitchin, second: Medeiros)
Feb 25Enter into a Public Hearing to consider the Class…Motion: to enter into a Public Hearing to consider the Class II…Passed · see note
February 25, 2025: Enter into a Public Hearing to consider the Class II Dealer's License Application for Wild Evo, LL, 2135 GAR Highway
ApprovePassed · No count or names in the minutes
To enter into a Public Hearing to consider the Class II Dealer's License Application for Wild Evo, LL, 2135 GAR Highway
The minutes say the motion passed by a majority but do not say how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Motion made by Mr. Beaudette, seconded by Mr. Medeiros, to enter into a Public Hearing to consider the Class II Dealer's License Application for Wild Evo, LL, 2135 GAR Highway. MOTION PASSES BY MAJORITY Mrs.” (Motion: Beaudette, second: Medeiros)
The minutes say the motion passed by a majority but do not say how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Motion made by Mr. Beaudette, seconded by Mr. Medeiros, to close the public hearing MOTION PASSES BY MAJORITY Motion made by Mr.” (Motion: Beaudette, second: Medeiros)
Feb 25Approve the Class II Dealer License application for Wild…Motion: to approve the Class II Dealer License application for Wild Evo,…Passed · see note
February 25, 2025: Approve the Class II Dealer License application for Wild Evo, LLC, located at 2135 GAR Highway
ApprovePassed · No count or names in the minutes
To approve the Class II Dealer License application for Wild Evo, LLC, located at 2135 GAR Highway
The minutes say the motion passed by a majority but do not say how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Motion made by Mr. Beaudette, seconded by Mr. Medeiros, to approve the Class II Dealer License application for Wild Evo, LLC, located at 2135 GAR Highway. MOTION PASSES BY MAJORITY Swansea Historical Commission -Updates on proje.” (Motion: Beaudette, second: Medeiros)
Feb 11Ratify the employment agreement between the Town the contract…Motion: to ratify the employment agreement between the Town the contract between…Passed 2–1 · No: Beaudette
February 11, 2025: Ratify the employment agreement between the Town the contract between the Town of Swansea and Mallory Aronstein for the term commencing July 1, 2025, and continuing through June 30, 2028.…
ApprovePassed · 2–1
To ratify the employment agreement between the Town the contract between the Town of Swansea and Mallory Aronstein for the term commencing July 1, 2025, and continuing through June 30, 2028. Mr. Medeiros AYE, Mr. Kitchin AYE, Mr. Beaudette, NAY
Yes: Kitchin, MedeirosNo: Beaudette
From the minutes
“Motion made by Mr. Kitchin, seconded by Mr. Medeiros, to ratify the employment agreement between the Town the contract between the Town of Swansea and Mallory Aronstein for the term commencing July 1, 2025, and continuing through June 30, 2028. Mr. Medeiros AYE, Mr. Kitchin AYE, Mr. Beaudette, NAY MOTION PASSES BY MAJORITY Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Review Mrs.” (Motion: Kitchin, second: Medeiros)
Aug 13Re-appoint Mr. Joseph Latimer as a Constable for the…Motion: to re-appoint Mr. Joseph Latimer as a Constable for the Town…Passed · see note
August 13, 2024: Re-appoint Mr. Joseph Latimer as a Constable for the Town of Swansea. Medeiros-aye, Kitchin-aye Beaudette-nay
AppointPassed · No count or names in the minutes
To re-appoint Mr. Joseph Latimer as a Constable for the Town of Swansea. Medeiros-aye, Kitchin-aye Beaudette-nay
The minutes say the motion passed by a majority but do not say how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Motion made by Mr. Kitchin, seconded by Mr. Medeiros to re-appoint Mr. Joseph Latimer as a Constable for the Town of Swansea. Medeiros-aye, Kitchin-aye Beaudette-nay Motion passes by majority Motion made by Mr.” (Motion: Kitchin, second: Medeiros)
Jun 18Appoint Adeline Bellesheim of Westport, MA, as Conservation Agent,…Motion: to appoint Adeline Bellesheim of Westport, MA, as Conservation Agent, effective…Passed · see note
June 18, 2024: Appoint Adeline Bellesheim of Westport, MA, as Conservation Agent, effective July 8, 2024. Discussion with Ms. Bellesheim continued. Mr. Medeiros asked Ms. Bellesheim how she sees herself managing and
AppointPassed · No count or names in the minutes
To appoint Adeline Bellesheim of Westport, MA, as Conservation Agent, effective July 8, 2024. Discussion with Ms. Bellesheim continued. Mr. Medeiros asked Ms. Bellesheim how she sees herself managing and working with the public. Ms. Bellesheim said she currently works for the Town of Seekonk as a Conservation Agent which has given her a vast experience of working with the public. She said prior to that she was an educator at the Lloyd Center for the Environment and she hosts trivia at bars. She said she tries to promote education to residents. Mr. Medeiros called for the vote on Ms. Bellesheim
The minutes say the motion passed by a majority but do not say how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Motion made by Mr. Beaudette, seconded by Mr. Medeiros to appoint Adeline Bellesheim of Westport, MA, as Conservation Agent, effective July 8, 2024. Discussion with Ms. Bellesheim continued. Mr. Medeiros asked Ms. Bellesheim how she sees herself managing and working with the public. Ms. Bellesheim said she currently works for the Town of Seekonk as a Conservation Agent which has given her a vast experience of working with the public. She said prior to that she was an educator at the Lloyd Center for the Environment and she hosts trivia at bars. She said she tries to promote education to residents. Mr. Medeiros called for the vote on Ms. Bellesheim. Passed by Majority.” (Motion: Beaudette, second: Medeiros)
Jun 18Appoint Kathleen LaBlanc of Swansea, MA to the Historical…Motion: to appoint Kathleen LaBlanc of Swansea, MA to the Historical and…Passed · see note
June 18, 2024: Appoint Kathleen LaBlanc of Swansea, MA to the Historical and Cultural Assets Committee, term to expire June 30, 2027
AppointPassed · No count or names in the minutes
To appoint Kathleen LaBlanc of Swansea, MA to the Historical and Cultural Assets Committee, term to expire June 30, 2027
The minutes say the motion passed by a majority but do not say how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Motion made by Mr. Beaudette, seconded by Mr. Medeiros to appoint Kathleen LaBlanc of Swansea, MA to the Historical and Cultural Assets Committee, term to expire June 30, 2027. Passed by Majority.” (Motion: Beaudette, second: Medeiros)
Jun 18Appoint Sue Nedar of Swansea, MA to the Cable…Motion: to appoint Sue Nedar of Swansea, MA to the Cable Oversight…Passed · see note
June 18, 2024: Appoint Sue Nedar of Swansea, MA to the Cable Oversight Committee with a term to expire June 30, 2025
AppointPassed · No count or names in the minutes
To appoint Sue Nedar of Swansea, MA to the Cable Oversight Committee with a term to expire June 30, 2025
The minutes say the motion passed by a majority but do not say how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Motion made by Mr. Beaudette, seconded by Mr. Medeiros to appoint Sue Nedar of Swansea, MA to the Cable Oversight Committee with a term to expire June 30, 2025. Passed by Majority.” (Motion: Beaudette, second: Medeiros)
From the Swansea Board of Selectmen’s official minutes, posted on the town’s website. We check every vote against the Selectmen present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades officials; votes and attendance are shown exactly as the minutes record them. Photos: Alanna Solitro, a still from her Swansea Cable Access Television candidate video (2026); Robert Medeiros, from his campaign Facebook page (Robert Medeiros Swansea Selectman).