How the Westford Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide for three-year terms. Tom Clay was re-elected and Chris Barrett elected (succeeding Anita Tonakarn-Nguyen) at the May 2, 2023 town election. On May 9, 2023 the board chose Tom Clay as Chair, Scott Hazelton as Vice Chair and John Cunningham as Clerk (each 5-0). Covers 40 meetings, May 9 to April 27, 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.
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.
Apr 18Approve up to $16,000 to fund the All-Access Events…Motion: It was moved by SB Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by SB Member…Passed 4–0 · see note
April 18, 2024: Approve up to $16,000 to fund the All-Access Events for Town Meeting LED projection trailer and associated equipment as presented
ApprovePassed · 4–0
It was moved by SB Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by SB Member Hazelton, and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSENT (Cunningham) TO APPROVE up to $16,000 to fund the All-Access Events for Town Meeting LED projection trailer and associated equipment as presented.
Yes: Barrett, Clay, Hazelton, Peraner-SweetThe minutes list John Cunningham as absent for this vote (“VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSENT (Cunningham)”), so John Cunningham is not shown voting.
From the minutes
“It was moved by SB Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by SB Member Hazelton, and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSENT (Cunningham) TO APPROVE up to $16,000 to fund the All-Access Events for Town Meeting LED projection trailer and associated equipment as presented..” (Motion: Peraner-Sweet, second: Hazelton)
Mar 26Reschedule the date of April 27, 2024 at 9:00…Motion: It was moved by SB Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by SB Member…Passed 4–1 · No: Barrett
March 26, 2024: Reschedule the date of April 27, 2024 at 9:00 AM as the date for the Annual Town Meeting, to be held at the Alumni Field at Westford Academy
ApprovePassed · 4–1
It was moved by SB Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by SB Member Hazelton, and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 OPPOSED (Barrett) TO RESCHEDULE the date of April 27, 2024 at 9:00 AM as the date for the Annual Town Meeting, to be held at the Alumni Field at Westford Academy.
“It was moved by SB Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by SB Member Hazelton, and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 OPPOSED (Barrett) TO RESCHEDULE the date of April 27, 2024 at 9:00 AM as the date for the Annual Town Meeting, to be held at the Alumni Field at Westford Academy..” (Motion: Peraner-Sweet, second: Hazelton)
Mar 12Authorize the Tree Warden to remove Crown Road tree,…Motion: It was moved by SB Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by SB Member…Passed 4–1 · No: Barrett
March 12, 2024: Authorize the Tree Warden to remove Crown Road tree, TO RECOMMEND saving the Sugar Maple tree at 13 Boston Road, and to ask for a change order to remove the…
Adopt orderPassed · 4–1
It was moved by SB Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by SB Member Cunningham, and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 OPPOSED (Barrett) TO AUTHORIZE the Tree Warden to remove Crown Road tree, TO RECOMMEND saving the Sugar Maple tree at 13 Boston Road, and to ask for a change order to remove the island on Boston Road.
“It was moved by SB Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by SB Member Cunningham, and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 OPPOSED (Barrett) TO AUTHORIZE the Tree Warden to remove Crown Road tree, TO RECOMMEND saving the Sugar Maple tree at 13 Boston Road, and to ask for a change order to remove the island on Boston Road..” (Motion: Peraner-Sweet, second: Cunningham)
Feb 27Approve the Consent Agenda, subject to all public safety…Motion: It was moved by SB Member Cunningham, seconded by SB Member…Passed 4–0 · see note
February 27, 2024: Approve the Consent Agenda, subject to all public safety recommendations
ApprovePassed · 4–0
It was moved by SB Member Cunningham, seconded by SB Member Barrett, and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSENT (Peraner-Sweet) TO APPROVE the Consent Agenda, subject to all public safety recommendations.
Yes: Barrett, Clay, Cunningham, HazeltonThe minutes list Andrea Peraner-Sweet as absent for this vote (“VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSENT (Peraner-Sweet)”), so Andrea Peraner-Sweet is not shown voting.
From the minutes
“It was moved by SB Member Cunningham, seconded by SB Member Barrett, and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSENT (Peraner-Sweet) TO APPROVE the Consent Agenda, subject to all public safety recommendations..” (Motion: Cunningham, second: Barrett)
“It was moved by SB Member Cunningham, seconded by SB Member Barrett, and VOTED 3 IN FAVOR, 2 OPPOSED (Clay, Peraner-Sweet) TO RECOMMEND Article 22..” (Motion: Cunningham, second: Barrett)
Dec 12Establish a speed limit of twenty- five miles-per-hour on…Motion: It was moved by SB Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by SB Member…Passed 4–1 · No: Barrett
December 12, 2023: Establish a speed limit of twenty- five miles-per-hour on Boston Road from Main Street to 44 Boston Road, pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 90, §17C
ApprovePassed · 4–1
It was moved by SB Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by SB Member Cunningham, and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 OPPOSED (Barrett), TO ESTABLISH a speed limit of twenty- five miles-per-hour on Boston Road from Main Street to 44 Boston Road, pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 90, §17C.
“It was moved by SB Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by SB Member Cunningham, and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 OPPOSED (Barrett), TO ESTABLISH a speed limit of twenty- five miles-per-hour on Boston Road from Main Street to 44 Boston Road, pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 90, §17C..” (Motion: Peraner-Sweet, second: Cunningham)
Nov 14Approve the renewing of the solid waste disposal service…Motion: It was moved by Select Board Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Select…Passed 4–1 · No: Cunningham
November 14, 2023: Approve the renewing of the solid waste disposal service with Covanta, Inc. for the term of FY25-FY29 as presented
ApprovePassed · 4–1
It was moved by Select Board Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Select Board Member Barrett, and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR. 1 OPPOSED (Cunningham) TO APPROVE the renewing of the solid waste disposal service with Covanta, Inc. for the term of FY25-FY29 as presented.
“It was moved by Select Board Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Select Board Member Barrett, and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR. 1 OPPOSED (Cunningham) TO APPROVE the renewing of the solid waste disposal service with Covanta, Inc. for the term of FY25-FY29 as presented..” (Motion: Peraner-Sweet, second: Barrett)
Nov 14Approve the October 10, 2023 minutes as presentedMotion: It was moved by Select Board Member Cunningham, seconded by Select…Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Peraner-Sweet
November 14, 2023: Approve the October 10, 2023 minutes as presented
Approve minutesPassed · 4–0
It was moved by Select Board Member Cunningham, seconded by Select Board Member Barrett, and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSTAIN (Peraner-Sweet) TO APPROVE the October 10, 2023 minutes as presented.
“It was moved by Select Board Member Cunningham, seconded by Select Board Member Barrett, and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSTAIN (Peraner-Sweet) TO APPROVE the October 10, 2023 minutes as presented..” (Motion: Cunningham, second: Barrett)
Jul 25Approve the request to fund the Townwide Strategic Plan…Motion: It was moved by SB Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by SB Member…Passed 4–1 · No: Cunningham
July 25, 2023: Approve the request to fund the Townwide Strategic Plan with ARPA funds, as presented, in the amount of $95,000
ApprovePassed · 4–1
It was moved by SB Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by SB Member Hazelton, and VOTED BY ROLL CALL, 4 IN FAVOR, 1 OPPOSED (Cunningham) TO APPROVE the request to fund the Townwide Strategic Plan with ARPA funds, as presented, in the amount of $95,000.
“It was moved by SB Member Peraner-Sweet, seconded by SB Member Hazelton, and VOTED BY ROLL CALL, 4 IN FAVOR, 1 OPPOSED (Cunningham) TO APPROVE the request to fund the Townwide Strategic Plan with ARPA funds, as presented, in the amount of $95,000..” (Motion: Peraner-Sweet, second: Hazelton)
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.