MassVoter.com← WalpoleMunicipal votes · 2020–2021 Board
Walpole Select Board
How the Walpole Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide for three-year terms. After the June 2020 town election (held late because of COVID-19), the board on June 29, 2020 chose Benjamin Barrett as Chair, Nancy Mackenzie as Vice Chair and Mark Gallivan as Clerk. The same five members served all year. Most meetings were held remotely. The board was renamed the Select Board during this term. Covers 24 meetings, June 29 to May 25, 2021.
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 Walpole’s meeting calendar automatically yet. See upcoming meetings on the official site →
Members
ChairBenjamin BarrettChair · Elected townwide · at 24 of 24 meetings
Vice-ChairNancy MackenzieVice Chair · Elected townwide · at 19 of 24 meetings
Mark GallivanClerk · Elected townwide · at 24 of 24 meetings
James O’NeilMember · Elected townwide · at 24 of 24 meetings
David SalvatoreMember · Elected townwide · at 18 of 24 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: Walpole Select Board minutes (the board was called the Board of Selectmen until the end of 2020) from January 9, 2018 through September 1, 2026: 225 meetings and 2881 votes. Minutes from 2018 through 2024 come from the town’s Document Center (Agendas & Minutes, Select Board), which holds the board’s minutes back to 2010 (MassVoter has loaded 2018 on); minutes from January 2025 on come from the town’s Agenda Center. Joint meetings are included (for example with the Finance Committee, the School Committee or the Board of Sewer and Water Commissioners), but only the Select Board’s own votes are shown. Not here: executive-session minutes, and meetings after September 1, 2026 (the September 22, 2026 minutes are not posted yet). Twelve sets of minutes from 2018 to 2020 are scanned images; MassVoter read them with text recognition, so quoted words may keep small reading errors. Walpole’s minutes give a count for each vote (“VOTED 5-0-0”, “Motion Passed (5-0-0)”) and name any member who votes no or abstains (“Ms. Ragosta opposed”, “Vice Chair Maffei opposed”); in 2018 to 2020 some votes were roll calls with each member named (“Mr. Salvatore-Aye”). When the count matches the members present, each member is shown voting as recorded. When a member arrived late or left early and the count matches the members there at the time, those members are shown, with a note. Where the count does not match the members present, or the names given do not match the count, we show the count only and add a note; a few votes record no count and show the result only. On February 4, 2025 the town confirmed that Benjamin Barrett, who arrived late, did not vote on the first seven items; it also confirmed the typing errors noted on January 21, May 13, May 21, November 18 and December 2, 2025. We will ask the town to confirm any other 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 25On motion of Vice Chair MackenzieMotion: On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan, vote…Passed 4–1 · No: Salvatore
May 25, 2021: On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie
On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan, vote to approve the Employment Contract Policy and add to the Town of Walpole Policies and Procedures Manual and that this motion is not sending a message that the Select Board is overstepping the power of the Moderator and at any time he would like to look into a bylaw we would support that. On roll call vote of the Board,
Yes: Barrett, Gallivan, Mackenzie, O’NeilNo: Salvatore
From the minutes
“On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan, vote to approve the Employment Contract Policy and add to the Town of Walpole Policies and Procedures Manual and that this motion is not sending a message that the Select Board is overstepping the power of the Moderator and at any time he would like to look into a bylaw we would support that. On roll call vote of the Board, Motion Passed (4-1-0) (Board member Salvatore opposed).” (Motion: Mackenzie, second: Gallivan)
May 25Approve the contract for Richard Kelleher as the Interim…Motion: On motion of Board member Salvatore, seconded by Clerk Gallivan, voted…Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Mackenzie
May 25, 2021: Approve the contract for Richard Kelleher as the Interim Police Chief
On motion of Board member Salvatore, seconded by Clerk Gallivan, voted to approve the contract for Richard Kelleher as the Interim Police Chief. On roll call vote of the Board,
Yes: Barrett, Gallivan, O’Neil, SalvatoreAbstained: Mackenzie
From the minutes
“On motion of Board member Salvatore, seconded by Clerk Gallivan, voted to approve the contract for Richard Kelleher as the Interim Police Chief. On roll call vote of the Board, Motion Passed (4-0-1) (Vice Chair Mackenzie abstained).” (Motion: Salvatore, second: Gallivan)
May 11Add a senior citizen and forest green space representative…Motion: On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan, voted…Passed 4–1 · No: Salvatore
May 11, 2021: Add a senior citizen and forest green space representative and change all representatives other than Planning Board to be them or designee and send a memo to Planning Board with…
On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan, voted to add a senior citizen and forest green space representative and change all representatives other than Planning Board to be them or designee and send a memo to Planning Board with this suggestion and ask for comment and input and have a meeting to discuss or offer any changes beforehand to discuss them. On roll call vote of the Board,
Yes: Barrett, Gallivan, Mackenzie, O’NeilNo: Salvatore
From the minutes
“On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan, voted to add a senior citizen and forest green space representative and change all representatives other than Planning Board to be them or designee and send a memo to Planning Board with this suggestion and ask for comment and input and have a meeting to discuss or offer any changes beforehand to discuss them. On roll call vote of the Board, Motion Passed (4-1-0) (Board member Salvatore opposed).” (Motion: Mackenzie, second: Gallivan)
Apr 6With clerical correction to authorize the Chair to sign…Motion: On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan, voted…Passed 4–1 · No: Salvatore
April 6, 2021: With clerical correction to authorize the Chair to sign the letter to Mass Housing regarding the proposed Residences at Darwin Common 40B Project
On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan, voted with clerical correction to authorize the Chair to sign the letter to Mass Housing regarding the proposed Residences at Darwin Common 40B Project. On roll call vote of the Board,
Yes: Barrett, Gallivan, Mackenzie, O’NeilNo: Salvatore
From the minutes
“On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan, voted with clerical correction to authorize the Chair to sign the letter to Mass Housing regarding the proposed Residences at Darwin Common 40B Project. On roll call vote of the Board, Motion Passed (4-1-0) (Board member Salvatore opposed).” (Motion: Mackenzie, second: Gallivan)
Mar 23The Select Board support a capital budget request to…Motion: On motion of Chair Barrett, seconded by Board member O’Neil voted…Passed 4–1 · No: Salvatore
March 23, 2021: The Select Board support a capital budget request to be submitted by Organizations and Leaders Supportive of the Town of Walpole contracting services for racial justice training
On motion of Chair Barrett, seconded by Board member O’Neil voted that the Select Board support a capital budget request to be submitted by Organizations and Leaders Supportive of the Town of Walpole contracting services for racial justice training. On roll call vote of the Board,
Yes: Barrett, Gallivan, Mackenzie, O’NeilNo: Salvatore
From the minutes
“On motion of Chair Barrett, seconded by Board member O’Neil voted that the Select Board support a capital budget request to be submitted by Organizations and Leaders Supportive of the Town of Walpole contracting services for racial justice training. On roll call vote of the Board, Motion Passed (4-1-0) (Board member Salvatore opposed).” (Motion: Barrett, second: O’Neil)
Mar 23Award Bid/Contract No. 2021-15 for Master Plan Rewrite to…Motion: On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan, voted…Passed 4–1 · No: Salvatore
March 23, 2021: Award Bid/Contract No. 2021-15 for Master Plan Rewrite to Barrett Planning Group, Inc. for $139,500
On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan, voted to award Bid/Contract No. 2021-15 for Master Plan Rewrite to Barrett Planning Group, Inc. for $139,500. On roll call vote of the Board,
Yes: Barrett, Gallivan, Mackenzie, O’NeilNo: Salvatore
From the minutes
“On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan, voted to award Bid/Contract No. 2021-15 for Master Plan Rewrite to Barrett Planning Group, Inc. for $139,500. On roll call vote of the Board, Motion Passed (4-1-0) (Board member Salvatore opposed).” (Motion: Mackenzie, second: Gallivan)
Mar 23Recommend favorable action on Article 2Motion: On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan voted…Passed 4–1 · No: Salvatore
March 23, 2021: Recommend favorable action on Article 2
On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan voted favorable action on Article 2. On roll call vote of the Board,
Yes: Barrett, Gallivan, Mackenzie, O’NeilNo: Salvatore
From the minutes
“On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan voted favorable action on Article 2. On roll call vote of the Board, Motion Passed (4-1-0) (Board member Salvatore opposed).” (Motion: Mackenzie, second: Gallivan)
Mar 23Recommend favorable action on Article 15Motion: On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Board member O’Neil…Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Gallivan
March 23, 2021: Recommend favorable action on Article 15
On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Board member O’Neil voted favorable action on Article 15. On roll call vote of the Board,
Yes: Barrett, Mackenzie, O’Neil, SalvatoreAbstained: Gallivan
From the minutes
“On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Board member O’Neil voted favorable action on Article 15. On roll call vote of the Board, Motion Passed (4-0-1) (Clerk Gallivan abstained).” (Motion: Mackenzie, second: O’Neil)
Mar 23Recommend favorable action on Article 16Motion: On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan voted…Passed 4–1 · No: Salvatore
March 23, 2021: Recommend favorable action on Article 16
On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan voted favorable action on Article 16. On roll call vote of the Board,
Yes: Barrett, Gallivan, Mackenzie, O’NeilNo: Salvatore
From the minutes
“On motion of Vice Chair Mackenzie, seconded by Clerk Gallivan voted favorable action on Article 16. On roll call vote of the Board, Motion Passed (4-1-0) (Board member Salvatore opposed).” (Motion: Mackenzie, second: Gallivan)
Feb 23Request that the ZBA incorporate the offsite mitigation for…Motion: On motion of Clerk Gallivan, seconded by Board member O’Neil, voted…Passed 4–1 · No: Mackenzie
February 23, 2021: Request that the ZBA incorporate the offsite mitigation for the improvements to the South Walpole Intersection into their decision and incorporate the feedback from the Select Board at their…
On motion of Clerk Gallivan, seconded by Board member O’Neil, voted to request that the ZBA incorporate the offsite mitigation for the improvements to the South Walpole Intersection into their decision and incorporate the feedback from the Select Board at their meeting particularly around the flow of traffic and the utilization of the common in trying to preserve as much useable space. The Board also notes that as the Road Commissioners, the Select Board shall have final review and approval of any changes On roll call vote of the Board,
Yes: Barrett, Gallivan, O’Neil, SalvatoreNo: Mackenzie
From the minutes
“On motion of Clerk Gallivan, seconded by Board member O’Neil, voted to request that the ZBA incorporate the offsite mitigation for the improvements to the South Walpole Intersection into their decision and incorporate the feedback from the Select Board at their meeting particularly around the flow of traffic and the utilization of the common in trying to preserve as much useable space. The Board also notes that as the Road Commissioners, the Select Board shall have final review and approval of any changes On roll call vote of the Board, Motion Passed (4-1-0) (Vice Chair Mackenzie opposed).” (Motion: Gallivan, second: O’Neil)
From the Walpole Select Board’s official minutes: 2018 to 2024 from the town’s Document Center (Agendas & Minutes, Select Board), and 2025 on from its Agenda Center. We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: the members’ own campaign Facebook pages (Allyson Hamilton, Glenn Maffei, Benjamin Barrett, James O’Neil); Walpole Media Corp (Mark Gallivan, “Mark Gallivan Candidate Special,” June 2020); the Town of Walpole’s Annual Town Reports (Nancy Mackenzie, 2019 report, board photo with name card; David Salvatore, 2020 report, board photo); Hometown Weekly (Ann Ragosta, “An Outside View,” November 2018). No photo found for Eric Kraus.
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