How the Truro Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. Kristen Reed joined the board after the May 2018 town election; Jay Coburn left and Janet Worthington was re-elected. On May 9, 2018 the board chose Robert Weinstein as Chair, Maureen Burgess as Vice Chair and Janet Worthington as Clerk (each 5-0). From May 2018 the minutes call the board the Select Board. Covers 39 meetings, May 9 to May 7, 2019.
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.
In Truro, 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 16, 2026 57 votes: 46 passed, 2 passed as amended, 6 failed, 1 indefinitely postponed, 2 tabled
Art. 3 · motion 2Free cash to the OPEB Trust Fund (recorded as $400,00.00)Passed“PASSES”
Art. 3 · motion 3Free cash: $575,000 to the Capital Expense Stabilization FundPassed“PASSES”
Art. 3 · motion 4Free cash: $100,000 to the Stabilization FundPassed“PASSES”
Art. 3 · motion 5Free cash: $125,000 to the Reserve FundPassed“PASSES”
Art. 3 · motion 6Free cash: $75,000 to the Employee Benefit AccountPassed“PASSES”
Art. 3 · motion 7Free cash: $1,150,000 for operating capital (police vehicles, septic, trucks, Motor Inn site work, jetty design and more)Passed“PASSES · 348-YEAS 56-NAYS”
Art. 3Transfer free cash for the tax rate, reserves, OPEB, EMS support, capital projects and other items (climate item cut to $10,000)Passed as amended“motion carries as declared by the Moderator.”
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
Loaded: Select Board minutes (called the Board of Selectmen until May 2018) from January 8, 2018 through August 25, 2026, from the town’s CivicClerk portal, which holds minutes back to 2014 (MassVoter has loaded 2018 on). Also loaded: Budget Task Force meetings, joint meetings, and executive-session minutes the board has released where they are the only minutes posted for a meeting. Not here: minutes the town has not posted (about 85 calendar dates since 2018 have an agenda or listing but no minutes, including the open sessions of June 15 to July 30, 2021, October 14, 2025, January 13, 2026, July 16 and August 18, 2026); the April 2, 2024 minutes (the town posted the January 14, 2025 minutes in their place); May 5, 2020, where the posted file starts partway through; four files of an ADU subcommittee posted under the Select Board; and every meeting after August 25, 2026. All of Truro’s minutes are scanned copies; MassVoter read them with text-recognition software and checked doubtful votes against the page images. Truro’s minutes give the mover and seconder for each motion. Until 2020 they give a count (“the motion carried 4-0-1”); since 2020 most votes are roll calls that list each member’s vote by name (“Member Rein - Aye”), followed by a count (“So voted, 5-0-0, motion carries”). When the count matches the members present, we show every member present as voting yes, and when the minutes name the members who voted no or abstained, everyone else present as voting yes. Where the minutes give only a split count without names, a roll call leaves out a member who was there, names a member twice or names one who was not there, or the count does not match the members present, we show the count only and add a note. Motions with no vote written down are shown with no count. Members who stepped aside (recused) or had left are left out of that vote. Votes taken by other boards at joint meetings (such as the Finance Committee, Planning Board or Zoning Board of Appeals) are not included. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.
The minutes give the count (5-0) and name Paul Wisotzky, but the names and count do not match the members present. Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“Maureen Burgess moved to approve the Consent Agenda. Paul Wisotzky seconded, and the motion carried 5-0 with an abstention by Paul on the minutes of April 4, 2019.” (Motion: Burgess, second: Wisotzky)
Apr 9Approve the ABCC Licensing Authority Certification form for a…Motion: To approve the ABCC Licensing Authority Certification form for a New…Passed · see note
April 9, 2019: Approve the ABCC Licensing Authority Certification form for a New Seasonal On-premises Pouring Wine and Malt License excluding the deck area and Common Victualer License for Ave D. Rosenthal,...
ApprovePassed · No count or names in the minutes
To approve the ABCC Licensing Authority Certification form for a New Seasonal On-premises Pouring Wine and Malt License excluding the deck area and Common Victualer License for Ave D. Rosenthal, Manager and Owner of Avenue D. Inc. dba Avenue D, 14 Truro Center Rd. Unit C.
The minutes record this motion but no vote on it.
From the minutes
“Janet Worthington moved to approve the ABCC Licensing Authority Certification form for a New Seasonal On-premises Pouring Wine and Malt License excluding the deck area and Common Victualer License for Ave D. Rosenthal, Manager and Owner of Avenue D. Inc. dba Avenue D, 14 Truro Center Rd. Unit C. Kristen Reed seconded..” (Motion: Worthington, second: Reed)
Mar 26Approve the ABCC Licensing Authority Certification form for a…Motion: To approve the ABCC Licensing Authority Certification form for a New…Passed 4–0 · see note
March 26, 2019: Approve the ABCC Licensing Authority Certification form for a New Annual On-premises Pouring Wine and Malt Common Victualer License for Katherine Reed, manager and owner of FarmMaidFoods, Inc.,...
ApprovePassed · 4–0
To approve the ABCC Licensing Authority Certification form for a New Annual On-premises Pouring Wine and Malt Common Victualer License for Katherine Reed, manager and owner of FarmMaidFoods, Inc., dba Chequessett Chocolate, located at 8 Highland Rd., Truro for submission to the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.
The minutes say 4-0, but 5 members were present for this vote (Robert Weinstein, Maureen Burgess, Kristen Reed, Paul Wisotzky and Janet Worthington). Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“Paul Wisotzky moved to approve the ABCC Licensing Authority Certification form for a New Annual On-premises Pouring Wine and Malt Common Victualer License for Katherine Reed, manager and owner of FarmMaidFoods, Inc., dba Chequessett Chocolate, located at 8 Highland Rd., Truro for submission to the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. Maureen Burgess seconded, and the motion carried 4-0.” (Motion: Wisotzky, second: Burgess)
Mar 26Recommend Article 3 as printed in the WarrantMotion: To recommend Article 3 as printed in the Warrant.Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
March 26, 2019: Recommend Article 3 as printed in the Warrant
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
To recommend Article 3 as printed in the Warrant.
The minutes say Robert Weinstein recused before this vote; the count (4-0-1) lists the recusal as the third number. Robert Weinstein stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote.
From the minutes
“Paul Wisotzky moved to recommend Article 3 as printed in the Warrant. Maureen Burgess seconded, and the motion carried 4-0-1.” (Motion: Wisotzky, second: Burgess)
Mar 26Recommend Article 19 as printed in the WarrantMotion: To recommend Article 19 as printed in the Warrant.Failed 0–4 · see note
March 26, 2019: Recommend Article 19 as printed in the Warrant
ApproveFailed · 0–4
To recommend Article 19 as printed in the Warrant.
The minutes give only the count (0-4-1), not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Paul Wisotzky moved to recommend Article 19 as printed in the Warrant. Kristen Reed seconded, and the motion carried 0-4-1 against.” (Motion: Wisotzky, second: Reed)
Mar 26Approve the installation of the two proposed cameras: one…Motion: To approve the installation of the two proposed cameras: one outside…Passed 4–1 · see note
March 26, 2019: Approve the installation of the two proposed cameras: one outside Town Hall and one inside Town Hall in the second-floor corridor
ApprovePassed · 4–1
To approve the installation of the two proposed cameras: one outside Town Hall and one inside Town Hall in the second-floor corridor.
The minutes give only the count (4-1), not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Paul Wisotzky moved to approve the installation of the two proposed cameras: one outside Town Hall and one inside Town Hall in the second-floor corridor. Kristen Reed seconded, and the motion carried 4-1.” (Motion: Wisotzky, second: Reed)
The minutes add: "with Kristen Reed abstaining on the Item C Blackfish license".
From the minutes
“Paul Wisotzky moved to approve the Consent Agenda as printed. Maureen Burgess seconded, and the motion carried 5-0 with Kristen Reed abstaining on the Item C Blackfish license.” (Motion: Wisotzky, second: Burgess)
The minutes add: "with Kristen Reed abstaining from Items C and D meetings which she had not attended".
From the minutes
“Session Paul Wisotzky moved to approve the Consent Agenda as printed. Maureen Burgess seconded, and the motion carried 5-0 with Kristen Reed abstaining from Items C and D meetings which she had not attended.” (Motion: Wisotzky, second: Burgess)
Feb 26Approve the petition by Eversource Energy to install 35…Motion: To approve the petition by Eversource Energy to install 35 feet…Passed 6–0 · see note
February 26, 2019: Approve the petition by Eversource Energy to install 35 feet of conduit/cable on Shore Road
ApprovePassed · 6–0
To approve the petition by Eversource Energy to install 35 feet of conduit/cable on Shore Road.
The minutes say 6-0, but 4 members were present for this vote (Robert Weinstein, Maureen Burgess, Paul Wisotzky and Janet Worthington). Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“Paul Wisotzky moved to approve the petition by Eversource Energy to install 35 feet of conduit/cable on Shore Road. Maureen Burgess seconded, and the motion carried 6-0.” (Motion: Wisotzky, second: Burgess)
The minutes add: "with Paul Wisotzky abstaining from the minutes".
From the minutes
“Force Paul Wisotzky moved to approve the Consent Agenda as printed. Maureen Burgess seconded, and the motion carried 5-0 with Paul Wisotzky abstaining from the minutes.” (Motion: Wisotzky, second: Burgess)
From the Truro Select Board’s official minutes, posted on the town’s Agendas & Minutes calendar (CivicClerk). We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: The Provincetown Independent (courtesy of the members, or by Aden Choate and Nancy Bloom).