MassVoter.com← WalpoleMunicipal votes · 2023–2024 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 spring 2023 town election, the board on June 5, 2023 chose Allyson Hamilton as Chair, Mark Gallivan as Vice Chair and Benjamin Barrett as Clerk (each 5-0-0). The same five members served all year. Covers 27 meetings, June 5 to May 28, 2024.
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
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Members
ChairAllyson HamiltonChair · Elected townwide · at 27 of 27 meetings
Vice-ChairMark GallivanVice Chair · Elected townwide · at 27 of 27 meetings
Benjamin BarrettClerk · Elected townwide · at 24 of 27 meetings
Glenn MaffeiMember · Elected townwide · at 26 of 27 meetings
James O’NeilMember · Elected townwide · at 26 of 27 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.
Feb 27Accept the recommendation for the Sewer and Water Commission…Motion: On Motion of Clerk Barrett, seconded by Maffei, voted to accept…Passed 4–0 · see note
February 27, 2024: Accept the recommendation for the Sewer and Water Commission to utilize a triangle piece of land on the site for a pumping station that would facilitate the connection to the…
On Motion of Clerk Barrett, seconded by Maffei, voted to accept the recommendation for the Sewer and Water Commission to utilize a triangle piece of land on the site for a pumping station that would facilitate the connection to the MWRA, and that before May 1st , the Commission return to the Select Board and discuss the prioritization of the project as well as the rest of the projects and the implications for water rates and borrowing.
The minutes give only the count, not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“On Motion of Clerk Barrett, seconded by Maffei, voted to accept the recommendation for the Sewer and Water Commission to utilize a triangle piece of land on the site for a pumping station that would facilitate the connection to the MWRA, and that before May 1st , the Commission return to the Select Board and discuss the prioritization of the project as well as the rest of the projects and the implications for water rates and borrowing. Motion Passed (4-0-1.” (Motion: Barrett, second: Maffei)
Jan 9Approve request of Friends of Saint Patrick to hold…Motion: On motion of Clerk Barrett, seconded by Vice Chair Gallivan, voted…Passed 4–1 · see note
January 9, 2024: Approve request of Friends of Saint Patrick to hold the annual Parade on March 15, 2024 beginning at 11:25-11:30am and block a section of Main Street between Stone and Common…
On motion of Clerk Barrett, seconded by Vice Chair Gallivan, voted to approve request of Friends of Saint Patrick to hold the annual Parade on March 15, 2024 beginning at 11:25-11:30am and block a section of Main Street between Stone and Common Street at the conclusion of the parade for approximately 15minutes.
The minutes give the count and say “Mr. O’Neil abstained”, which does not match the count, so individual votes are not shown.
From the minutes
“On motion of Clerk Barrett, seconded by Vice Chair Gallivan, voted to approve request of Friends of Saint Patrick to hold the annual Parade on March 15, 2024 beginning at 11:25-11:30am and block a section of Main Street between Stone and Common Street at the conclusion of the parade for approximately 15minutes. Motion Passed (4-1-0) (Mr. O’Neil abstained).” (Motion: Barrett, second: Gallivan)
Nov 14Adopt a shift of 1.30 with a Residential Factor…Motion: On motion of Board member Maffei, seconded by Vice Chair Gallivan,…Passed 3–1 · No: Maffei
November 14, 2023: Adopt a shift of 1.30 with a Residential Factor of .9604 for Fiscal Year 2024
On motion of Board member Maffei, seconded by Vice Chair Gallivan, voted to adopt a shift of 1.30 with a Residential Factor of .9604 for Fiscal Year 2024.
Yes: Gallivan, Hamilton, O’NeilNo: Maffei
From the minutes
“On motion of Board member Maffei, seconded by Vice Chair Gallivan, voted to adopt a shift of 1.30 with a Residential Factor of .9604 for Fiscal Year 2024. Motion Passed (3-1-0) (Board member Maffei opposed).” (Motion: Maffei, second: Gallivan)
Nov 14Approve request of Walpole Chamber of Commerce to hold…Motion: On motion of Vice Chair Gallivan, seconded by Board member O’Neil,…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
November 14, 2023: Approve request of Walpole Chamber of Commerce to hold the annual Santa Parade and Tree Lighting on Saturday, November 25, 2023
On motion of Vice Chair Gallivan, seconded by Board member O’Neil, voted to approve request of Walpole Chamber of Commerce to hold the annual Santa Parade and Tree Lighting on Saturday, November 25, 2023.
Glenn Maffei left the meeting at 7:45pm and is not counted in this vote; the count (3-0-0) matches the 3 members there at the time.
From the minutes
“On motion of Vice Chair Gallivan, seconded by Board member O’Neil, voted to approve request of Walpole Chamber of Commerce to hold the annual Santa Parade and Tree Lighting on Saturday, November 25, 2023. Motion Passed (3-0-0).” (Motion: Gallivan, second: O’Neil)
Nov 14Approve request of Walpole 300th Committee for a One…Motion: On motion of Vice Chair Gallivan, seconded by Board member O’Neil,…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
November 14, 2023: Approve request of Walpole 300th Committee for a One Day Entertainment Permit on December 16, 2023 from 6-9pm at Stone Field for a laser show with pyrotechnics to kick off…
On motion of Vice Chair Gallivan, seconded by Board member O’Neil, voted to approve request of Walpole 300th Committee for a One Day Entertainment Permit on December 16, 2023 from 6-9pm at Stone Field for a laser show with pyrotechnics to kick off the Walpole 300th Celebration.
Glenn Maffei left the meeting at 7:45pm and is not counted in this vote; the count (3-0-0) matches the 3 members there at the time.
From the minutes
“On motion of Vice Chair Gallivan, seconded by Board member O’Neil, voted to approve request of Walpole 300th Committee for a One Day Entertainment Permit on December 16, 2023 from 6-9pm at Stone Field for a laser show with pyrotechnics to kick off the Walpole 300th Celebration. Motion Passed (3-0-0).” (Motion: Gallivan, second: O’Neil)
Nov 14Approve the consent items as listed on the November…Motion: On motion of Vice Chair Gallivan, seconded by Board member O’Neil,…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
November 14, 2023: Approve the consent items as listed on the November 14 agenda George & Lynn Rowan in memory of Ron Fucile to Town Clerk Gifts $50 Dalia Marinilli in memory of…
On motion of Vice Chair Gallivan, seconded by Board member O’Neil, voted to approve the consent items as listed on the November 14 agenda George & Lynn Rowan in memory of Ron Fucile to Town Clerk Gifts $50 Dalia Marinilli in memory of Phyllis Piasecki to COA Gifts $25 Patricia A. Murphy in memory of Phyllis Piasecki to COA Gifts $25 John Baker in memory of Phyllis Piasecki to COA Gifts $50 Gloria Denneen in memory of Phyllis Piasecki to COA Gifts $50
Glenn Maffei left the meeting at 7:45pm and is not counted in this vote; the count (3-0-0) matches the 3 members there at the time.
From the minutes
“On motion of Vice Chair Gallivan, seconded by Board member O’Neil, voted to approve the consent items as listed on the November 14 agenda George & Lynn Rowan in memory of Ron Fucile to Town Clerk Gifts $50 Dalia Marinilli in memory of Phyllis Piasecki to COA Gifts $25 Patricia A. Murphy in memory of Phyllis Piasecki to COA Gifts $25 John Baker in memory of Phyllis Piasecki to COA Gifts $50 Gloria Denneen in memory of Phyllis Piasecki to COA Gifts $50 Motion Passed (3-0-0).” (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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