How the Westford Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide for three-year terms. Scott Hazelton served as Chairman and Andrea Peraner-Sweet as Vice Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, with Mark Kost, Elizabeth Almeida and Tom Clay. MassVoter’s record starts with the January 9, 2018 meeting. The same five members served after the May 1, 2018 town election; the minutes record the board’s reorganization on October 23, 2018. The minutes from this period do not name a Clerk. Covers 23 meetings, January 9 to October 9, 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.
In Westford, 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 · March 28, 2026 33 votes: 28 passed, 1 failed, 2 no action, 2 other
Art. 14Accept local option reducing the residency requirement for disabled veteran property tax exemptions (MGL c. 59, s. 22F)Passed“It was voted and passed by majority:”
Not here yet: All Westford Town Meetings held from January 2024 to October 12, 2026 are here; the 2026 Special Town Meeting is on October 26, 2026.
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: Westford Select Board minutes from January 9, 2018 through July 28, 2026: 262 meetings and 3,234 votes. The town’s document archive holds Select Board and Board of Selectmen minutes back to 1890 (typed, searchable files from 2003); MassVoter loaded January 2018 on. The board was the Board of Selectmen until the Legislature approved the Town Charter change on November 13, 2020; its minutes are headed “Select Board” from December 8, 2020. Most 2018–2019 approved minutes are signed scans, which MassVoter read with text recognition (where the archive also has the typed draft, the approved copy is used). Also loaded: joint meetings with the Finance Committee, School Committee and Town and School Safety Task Force that are filed with the board’s minutes; only the Select Board’s own votes are shown. Not online: the minutes of some meetings with posted agendas, among them March 13 and October 15, 2018; February 12, 2019; May 12 and June 9, 2020; January 14, April 8 and April 22, 2025; and the October 2025 goal-setting retreat. MassVoter is asking the town for them. Not here: executive-session minutes, cancelled meetings, and the votes of the Finance Committee, School Committee and other boards at joint meetings. Minutes after July 28, 2026 are not posted yet (the board approves them before posting, usually about two months later). The town also reposts each agenda the day after a meeting with “ACTION TAKEN” notes under the items; those are not minutes, and MassVoter does not use them. Westford’s minutes name the mover and seconder and give a count, naming any member who votes no, abstains, recuses or is absent (“VOTED 3 IN FAVOR, 2 OPPOSED (Hazelton, Kost) TO RECOMMEND Article 11”); a count that equals the members present, with the members voting no or abstaining named, is shown as each member’s vote. Meetings with a member taking part remotely (2018) and the 2020 remote meetings add roll calls by name (“Clay - yes, Kost - no”). Members who arrived late, left, recused or were out of the room are not shown in the votes they missed. Where the count does not fit the members present or does not match the roll call, we show the count only (14 votes); where the minutes say the board voted by roll call but give no count, we show the result only (4 votes). A motion with no recorded outcome is not counted as a vote. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.
It was moved by Selectman Clay, seconded by Selectman Almeida and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 OPPOSED (Kost) BY ROLL CALL TO RECOMMEND Article 2. Clay - yes, Almeida - yes, Kost - no, Hazelton -yes, Peraner-Sweet - yes
“It was moved by Selectman Clay, seconded by Selectman Almeida and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 OPPOSED (Kost) BY ROLL CALL TO RECOMMEND Article 2. Clay - yes, Almeida - yes, Kost - no, Hazelton -yes, Peraner-Sweet - yes.” (Motion: Clay, second: Almeida)
Jul 24Extend the time until August 15, 2018 to remove…Motion: It was moved by Selectman Kost, seconded by Selectman Almeida and…Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Peraner-Sweet
July 24, 2018: Extend the time until August 15, 2018 to remove the fence from the town's right-of-way
ApprovePassed · 4–0
It was moved by Selectman Kost, seconded by Selectman Almeida and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSTAIN (Peraner-Sweet) TO EXTEND the time until August 15, 2018 to remove the fence from the town's right-of-way.
“It was moved by Selectman Kost, seconded by Selectman Almeida and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSTAIN (Peraner-Sweet) TO EXTEND the time until August 15, 2018 to remove the fence from the town's right-of-way..” (Motion: Kost, second: Almeida)
Mar 27Approve the recommendations as presentedMotion: It was moved by Selectman Almeida, seconded by Selectman Clay and…Passed 3–0 · see note
March 27, 2018: Approve the recommendations as presented
ApprovePassed · 3–0
It was moved by Selectman Almeida, seconded by Selectman Clay and VOTED 3 IN FAVOR, 1 RECUSED (Kost), 1 ABSENT (Hazelton) TO APPROVE the recommendations as presented.
Yes: Almeida, Clay, Peraner-SweetThe minutes say Mark Kost recused, so Mark Kost is not shown voting.
From the minutes
“It was moved by Selectman Almeida, seconded by Selectman Clay and VOTED 3 IN FAVOR, 1 RECUSED (Kost), 1 ABSENT (Hazelton) TO APPROVE the recommendations as presented..” (Motion: Almeida, second: Clay)
Mar 20Approve the request to remove the section of fence…Motion: It was moved by Selectman Kost, seconded by Selectman Almeida and…Passed 3–0 · Abstained: Peraner-Sweet
March 20, 2018: Approve the request to remove the section of fence from the right-of-way at 5 Koala Bear Lane
ApprovePassed · 3–0
It was moved by Selectman Kost, seconded by Selectman Almeida and VOTED 3 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSENT (Clay), 1 ABSTAIN (Peraner-Sweet) TO APPROVE the request to remove the section of fence from the right-of-way at 5 Koala Bear Lane.
“It was moved by Selectman Kost, seconded by Selectman Almeida and VOTED 3 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSENT (Clay), 1 ABSTAIN (Peraner-Sweet) TO APPROVE the request to remove the section of fence from the right-of-way at 5 Koala Bear Lane..” (Motion: Kost, second: Almeida)
It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Almeida and VOTED 3 IN FAVOR, 1 OPPOSED (Kost),1 ABSENT (Clay) TO RECOMMEND Article 25.
Yes: Almeida, Hazelton, Peraner-SweetNo: Kost
From the minutes
“It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Almeida and VOTED 3 IN FAVOR, 1 OPPOSED (Kost),1 ABSENT (Clay) TO RECOMMEND Article 25..” (Motion: Peraner-Sweet, second: Almeida)
It was moved by Almeida, seconded by Kost and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR (Peraner-Sweet arrived at 7:13 pm), TO RECOMMEND Article 3.
Yes: Almeida, Clay, Hazelton, KostAndrea Peraner-Sweet arrived at 7:13 pm, after this vote, and is not shown voting.
From the minutes
“It was moved by Almeida, seconded by Kost and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR (Peraner-Sweet arrived at 7:13 pm), TO RECOMMEND Article 3..” (Motion: Almeida, second: Kost)
Feb 27Approve the Plastic Bag Regulation Working Group as presentedMotion: It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Clay and…Passed 4–1 · No: Kost
February 27, 2018: Approve the Plastic Bag Regulation Working Group as presented
ApprovePassed · 4–1
It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Clay and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 OPPOSED (Kost) TO APPROVE the Plastic Bag Regulation Working Group as presented.
“It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Clay and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 OPPOSED (Kost) TO APPROVE the Plastic Bag Regulation Working Group as presented..” (Motion: Peraner-Sweet, second: Clay)
“It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Clay and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 OPPOSED (Hazelton) TO RECOMMEND Article 24..” (Motion: Peraner-Sweet, second: Clay)
It was moved by Kost, seconded by Almeida and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, TO APPROVE the minutes of January 18, 2018.
Yes: Almeida, Hazelton, Kost, Peraner-SweetThe attendance list says Tom Clay took part by telephone from 7:05 pm to 7:30 pm; the count (4 in favor) matches the other four members, so Tom Clay is not shown in this vote.
From the minutes
“It was moved by Kost, seconded by Almeida and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, TO APPROVE the minutes of January 18, 2018..” (Motion: Kost, second: Almeida)
It was moved by Kost, seconded by Almeida and VOTED 3 IN FAVOR, TO APPROVE the minutes of January 11, 2018.
The minutes record “VOTED 3 IN FAVOR”, but 5 members were at the meeting (Mark Kost, Elizabeth Almeida, Scott Hazelton, Andrea Peraner-Sweet and Tom Clay), and they do not say who did not vote. Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“It was moved by Kost, seconded by Almeida and VOTED 3 IN FAVOR, TO APPROVE the minutes of January 11, 2018..” (Motion: Kost, second: Almeida)
From the Westford Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s document archive (“View all meeting minutes” on the Select Board page) and, for recent meetings, 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 town’s website has only an unnamed group photo): League of Women Voters of Westford Voters’ Guides — Chris Barrett, Tom Clay and Elizabeth Sawyer (2026); Sean Kelly and Noëlle Donovan (2025). Cropped by MassVoter. Former members show initials.