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Weymouth Town Council
How the Weymouth Town Council voted, from the Town Council’s official minutes. 11 members: 5 elected townwide (at-large) and 6 elected by district. Andrew Donovan, Kathy Kelly and Rebecca Sherlock-Shangraw joined the board after the November 2025 town election; Pascale Burga, Maureen Kiely and Greg Shanahan left. On January 5, 2026 the board chose Arthur Mathews as President and Fred Happel as Vice President (both unanimous). Minutes after April 6, 2026 are not posted yet. The end date (January 2028) is a placeholder for the next inauguration. Covers 7 meetings so far, January 5 to April 6, 2026.
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
What does the Town Council do? It is the town’s lawmaking body (this town has no Town Meeting). It passes local laws (bylaws or ordinances), votes on the yearly budget, and approves borrowing and zoning changes.
The mayor runs the town day to day and proposes the budget.
Sources: Mass. General Laws c. 44 § 32 (city budgets)Your Weymouth ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.
Start my ballot →Vote Transparency Score
Weymouth Town Council: 6 out of 10 · Partly open
How easy Weymouth makes it to see, online, how each member votes. It scores the town’s records, not any official. Checked October 6, 2026.
- Minutes postedMinutes are posted for only about half of the past year’s meetings.No points: 0/2
- Each vote namedWhen councilors split, the minutes list how each one voted.Full points: 3/3
- Posted quicklyMinutes for meetings more than three months old are still missing.No points: 0/2
- Past years onlineTown Council minutes are online back to 2004.Full points: 1/1
- Readable textThe minutes are text you can search and copy, except one recent scanned file.Full points: 1/1
- Member photosThe town’s website shows a named photo of each councilor.Full points: 1/1
How the town can raise its score
- Minutes posted (+2): Post approved minutes for every meeting on the town website. Don’t require a sign-in to view them.
- Posted quickly (+2): Post minutes within 30 days. If approval takes longer, post a draft marked “Draft – not yet approved” and replace it later.
How we score · Something wrong, or has the town made a change? Email info@massvoter.com and we’ll re-check.
A monthly email on its votes, starting in November. We'll also tell you if this score changes.
Board years
Coming up
MassVoter can’t read Weymouth’s meeting calendar automatically yet. See upcoming meetings on the official site →
Members
PresidentArthur MathewsPresident · District Four Member · at 7 of 7 meetings✓ Every meeting 2026
Vice PresidentFred HappelVice President · Member at-large · at 7 of 7 meetings
Rick CoughlinMember · Member at-large · at 7 of 7 meetings✓ Every meeting 2026
Kenneth DiFazioMember · District Three Member · at 7 of 7 meetings
Andrew DonovanMember · Member at-large · at 6 of 7 meetings
Christopher HeffernanMember · Member at-large · at 6 of 7 meetings✓ Every meeting 2026
Kathy KellyMember · District One Member · at 7 of 7 meetings✓ Every meeting 2026
Gary MacDougallMember · District Five Member · at 7 of 7 meetings✓ Every meeting 2026
Carrie PalazzoMember · District Six Member · at 7 of 7 meetings✓ Every meeting 2026
Rebecca Sherlock-ShangrawMember · District Two Member · at 7 of 7 meetings
Stephen ShinneyMember · Member at-large · at 6 of 7 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.
Attendance
7 full-board meetings so far this year, through April 6. Ties share a rank.
1Rick Coughlin7 of 7 meetings Every meeting100%1Kenneth DiFazio7 of 7 meetings Every meeting100%1Fred Happel7 of 7 meetings Every meeting100%1Kathy Kelly7 of 7 meetings Every meeting100%1Gary MacDougall7 of 7 meetings Every meeting100%1Arthur Mathews7 of 7 meetings Every meeting100%1Carrie Palazzo7 of 7 meetings Every meeting100%1Rebecca Sherlock-Shangraw7 of 7 meetings Every meeting100%9Andrew Donovan6 of 7 meetings86%9Christopher Heffernan6 of 7 meetings86%9Stephen Shinney6 of 7 meetings86%16 full-board meetings in 2025. Ties share a rank.
1Gary MacDougall16 of 16 meetings Every meeting100%1Arthur Mathews16 of 16 meetings Every meeting100%1Carrie Palazzo16 of 16 meetings Every meeting100%1Michael Molisse14 of 14 meetings · served until Sep Every meeting100%1Stephen Shinney2 of 2 meetings · served from Nov100%6Pascale Burga15 of 16 meetings94%6Rick Coughlin15 of 16 meetings94%6Greg Shanahan15 of 16 meetings94%9Kenneth DiFazio14 of 16 meetings88%10Fred Happel13 of 16 meetings81%10Christopher Heffernan13 of 16 meetings81%12Maureen Kiely7 of 16 meetings44%20 full-board meetings in 2023. Ties share a rank.
1Kenneth DiFazio20 of 20 meetings Every meeting100%1Fred Happel20 of 20 meetings Every meeting100%1Michael Molisse20 of 20 meetings Every meeting100%4Arthur Mathews19 of 20 meetings95%4Greg Shanahan19 of 20 meetings95%6John Abbott18 of 20 meetings90%6Pascale Burga18 of 20 meetings90%6Maureen Kiely18 of 20 meetings90%6Gary MacDougall18 of 20 meetings90%10Christopher Heffernan17 of 20 meetings85%11Lisa Belmarsh14 of 20 meetings70%21 full-board meetings in 2022. Ties share a rank.
1Christopher Heffernan21 of 21 meetings Every meeting100%1Arthur Mathews21 of 21 meetings Every meeting100%1Michael Molisse21 of 21 meetings Every meeting100%4John Abbott20 of 21 meetings95%4Greg Shanahan20 of 21 meetings95%6Pascale Burga19 of 21 meetings90%6Fred Happel19 of 21 meetings90%6Gary MacDougall19 of 21 meetings90%9Lisa Belmarsh18 of 21 meetings86%9Kenneth DiFazio18 of 21 meetings86%11Maureen Kiely14 of 21 meetings67%25 full-board meetings in 2021. Ties share a rank.
1Kenneth DiFazio25 of 25 meetings Every meeting100%1Christopher Heffernan25 of 25 meetings Every meeting100%1Michael Molisse25 of 25 meetings Every meeting100%1John Abbott3 of 3 meetings · served from Nov100%25 full-board meetings in 2020. Ties share a rank.
1Pascale Burga25 of 25 meetings Every meeting100%21 full-board meetings in 2018. Ties share a rank.
1Christopher Heffernan21 of 21 meetings Every meeting100%1Arthur Mathews21 of 21 meetings Every meeting100%1Michael Smart21 of 21 meetings Every meeting100%1Maureen Kiely6 of 6 meetings · served from Oct Every meeting100%5Kenneth DiFazio20 of 21 meetings95%5Fred Happel20 of 21 meetings95%5Michael Molisse20 of 21 meetings95%From the official minutes: full-board meetings only (committee meetings are not counted). Members are counted only for meetings held while they served, and arriving late counts as attending. The minutes rarely say why a member was absent. Not shown: 2019, 2024, because too many of that year’s meetings are missing from the posted minutes.
A monthly email on its votes and who was there, starting in November.
Meetings
About missing minutes
Loaded: Weymouth Town Council minutes from January 2, 2018 through April 6, 2026, full-board meetings only (the board’s committee meetings are not included). Minutes through September 2025 come from the town’s yearly minutes and agendas archive pages, which go back to 2004 (MassVoter has loaded 2018 on); later minutes come from the town’s Agenda Center. Not here: October 17, 2022 and November 13, 2023 (the posted files hold the minutes of other meetings), April 1, 2024 (the minutes link is broken), February 18, 2025 (the minutes link opens an agenda), October 6, October 27, November 17 and December 15, 2025 (no minutes posted; the November 17 minutes were approved on December 1, 2025), and every meeting after April 6, 2026 (April 21 through October 5, 2026). Four files (August 25, 2020, January 16, 2024, February 3, 2025 and November 10, 2025) are scanned copies, which MassVoter read with text-recognition software. Weymouth’s minutes usually say “UNANIMOUSLY VOTED”; we then show every member present as voting yes, using the clerk’s roll call at the start of the meeting and any arrivals, departures and recusals the minutes record. From 2020 to 2023 most votes were roll calls by name, and we show each vote as recorded. Where the minutes give a count that does not match the members present, a roll call that does not match its count, or no count at all (“VOTED.”), we show the count or the result only, with a note. Votes taken by the Planning Board or the Conservation Commission at joint hearings, and committee votes reported to the board, are not included. We will ask the town to confirm any 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.
Apr 6Make a Motion for favorable action to accept the…Motion: Make a Motion for favorable action to accept the revisions to…Passed Unanimous, 11 present · see note
April 6, 2026: Make a Motion for favorable action to accept the revisions to the Town Council Rules and Regulations for 2026-2028
Make a Motion for favorable action to accept the revisions to the Town Council Rules and Regulations for 2026-2028. Motion seconded by Vice President Happel.
The minutes do not say who made this motion.
From the minutes
“Councilor Sherlock-Shangraw stated that she would like to make a Motion for favorable action to accept the revisions to the Town Council Rules and Regulations for 2026-2028. Motion seconded by Vice President Happel. President Mathews stated that a Motion to accept Measure 26 001-Town Council Rules and Regulations for 2026-2028, was seconded for favorable action, as amended, in the Rules Committee, and asked if there was any discussion on the Motion. With no discussion being made, UNANIMOUSLY VOTED.” (second: Happel)
Apr 6Ask the State Delegation to discuss including Weymouth in…Motion: Make a Motion for our State Delegation to discuss having the…Passed Unanimous, 11 present · see note
April 6, 2026: Ask the State Delegation to discuss including Weymouth in the Gateway Communities program
Make a Motion for our State Delegation to discuss having the Town of Weymouth included in the Gateway Communities, which would give funding to the town.
Councilor Coughlin said he would like to make the motion; the minutes do not name a seconder. The minutes do not name a seconder.
From the minutes
“Councilor Coughlin commented that during the Education Committee meeting, the subject of Gateway Communities was discussed, and indicated that he would like to make a Motion for our State Delegation to discuss having the Town of Weymouth included in the Gateway Communities, which would give funding to the town. Councilor Coughlin stated that the Town of Weymouth qualifies as the statute is written. President Mathews stated that he agrees with Councilor Coughlin, and believes that this item should be put on the Town Council Agenda in order to have the Economic Development Committee look into this possibility. President Mathews further stated that a more detailed discussion relative to this matter should be with the Mayor, the Administration, and Mr. Luongo, Director of Planning and Community Development. President Mathews asked the Town Council members if there was any further discussion on this Motion. Seeing none, UNANIMOUSLY VOTED.” (Motion: Coughlin)
Feb 17Favorable action on measure 25 109 - Proposed Ordinance-Chapter…Motion: A Public Hearing was held on February 2, 2026, and the…Passed Unanimous, 9 present · see note
February 17, 2026: Favorable action on measure 25 109 - Proposed Ordinance-Chapter 6 of the Town Ordinances Adding
A Public Hearing was held on February 2, 2026, and the Ordinance Committee met once again for a final review on February 1, 2026, wherein the Ordinance Committee voted 4-0 to recommend to the full Town Council passage of all three of these Ordinances. On behalf of the Ordinance Committee, Councilor DiFazio submitted the following measure for consideration by full Town Council: 25 107 That the Town of Weymouth, through Town Council, with the approval of the Mayor, hereby amends Chapter 6 Preservation of Public Peace and Order, by adding Section 6-1500, entitled 'Massage Establishment' inclusive of subsection 6-1501 through 6-1510. Motion seconded by Vice President Happel.
The minutes do not say who made this motion.
From the minutes
“A Public Hearing was held on February 2, 2026, and the Ordinance Committee met once again for a final review on February 1, 2026, wherein the Ordinance Committee voted 4-0 to recommend to the full Town Council passage of all three of these Ordinances. On behalf of the Ordinance Committee, Councilor DiFazio submitted the following measure for consideration by full Town Council: 25 107 That the Town of Weymouth, through Town Council, with the approval of the Mayor, hereby amends Chapter 6 Preservation of Public Peace and Order, by adding Section 6-1500, entitled 'Massage Establishment' inclusive of subsection 6-1501 through 6-1510. Motion seconded by Vice President Happel. UNANIMOUSLY VOTED.” (second: Happel)
Feb 17Favorable action on measure 25 107 - That the…Motion: On behalf of the Ordinance Committee, Member DiFazio submitted the following…Passed Unanimous, 9 present · see note
February 17, 2026: Favorable action on measure 25 107 - That the Town of Weymouth, through Town Council, with the approval of
On behalf of the Ordinance Committee, Councilor DiFazio submitted the following measure for consideration by full Town Council: 25 108 That the Town of Weymouth, through Town Council, with the approval of the Mayor, hereby amends Chapter 6 Preservation of Public Peace and Order, by adding Section 6-1600, entitled 'Mobility Studio Establishment' inclusive of subsection 6-1601 through 6-1613. Motion seconded by Vice President Happel.
The minutes do not say who made this motion.
From the minutes
“On behalf of the Ordinance Committee, Councilor DiFazio submitted the following measure for consideration by full Town Council: 25 108 That the Town of Weymouth, through Town Council, with the approval of the Mayor, hereby amends Chapter 6 Preservation of Public Peace and Order, by adding Section 6-1600, entitled 'Mobility Studio Establishment' inclusive of subsection 6-1601 through 6-1613. Motion seconded by Vice President Happel. UNANIMOUSLY VOTED.” (second: Happel)
Feb 17Favorable action on measure 25 108 - That the…Motion: On behalf of the Ordinance Committee, Member DiFazio submitted the following…Passed Unanimous, 9 present · see note
February 17, 2026: Favorable action on measure 25 108 - That the Town of Weymouth, through Town Council, with the approval of
On behalf of the Ordinance Committee, Councilor DiFazio submitted the following measure for consideration by full Town Council: 25 109 That the Town of Weymouth, through Town Council, with the approval of the Mayor, hereby amends Chapter 6 Preservation of Public Peace and Order, by adding Section 6-1400, entitled 'Bodywork Establishment' inclusive of subsection 6-1401 through 6-1413. Motion seconded by Vice President Happel.
The minutes do not say who made this motion.
From the minutes
“On behalf of the Ordinance Committee, Councilor DiFazio submitted the following measure for consideration by full Town Council: 25 109 That the Town of Weymouth, through Town Council, with the approval of the Mayor, hereby amends Chapter 6 Preservation of Public Peace and Order, by adding Section 6-1400, entitled 'Bodywork Establishment' inclusive of subsection 6-1401 through 6-1413. Motion seconded by Vice President Happel. UNANIMOUSLY VOTED.” (second: Happel)
Feb 17Favorable action on measure 25 109 - That the…Motion: Member MacDougall read this measure into the record: "That the Town…Passed Unanimous, 9 present · see note
February 17, 2026: Favorable action on measure 25 109 - That the Town of Weymouth, through Town Council, with the approval of
Councilor MacDougall read this measure into the record: "That the Town of Weymouth transfer the sum of $31,000.00 from the FY26 Reserve Fund (11325201-573100) to the Fire Department Equipment line item (13204410-585201) for the purpose of purchasing turnout gear, helmet fronts and airpack repairs." Line item 13204410-585201 was budgeted at $50,000.00, and as of the date of this measure has a balance of $7,933.88. The balance of the Reserve Fund is $209,238.69. Councilor MacDougall indicated that measure 26 005 - Reserve Fund Transfer- Fire Equipment, was referred to Budget/Management Committee on January 15, 2026. He stated that the Budget/Management Committee met earlier this evening and voted 4-0 for favorable action by full Town Council. Motion seconded by Vice President Happel.
The minutes do not say who made this motion.
From the minutes
“Councilor MacDougall read this measure into the record: "That the Town of Weymouth transfer the sum of $31,000.00 from the FY26 Reserve Fund (11325201-573100) to the Fire Department Equipment line item (13204410-585201) for the purpose of purchasing turnout gear, helmet fronts and airpack repairs." Line item 13204410-585201 was budgeted at $50,000.00, and as of the date of this measure has a balance of $7,933.88. The balance of the Reserve Fund is $209,238.69. Councilor MacDougall indicated that measure 26 005 - Reserve Fund Transfer- Fire Equipment, was referred to Budget/Management Committee on January 15, 2026. He stated that the Budget/Management Committee met earlier this evening and voted 4-0 for favorable action by full Town Council. Motion seconded by Vice President Happel. UNANIMOUSLY VOTED.” (second: Happel)
From the Weymouth Town Council’s official minutes, posted on the town’s minutes and agendas archive and in its Agenda Center. We check every vote against the members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: Town of Weymouth (Members page).
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