How the Winchester Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide for three-year terms. On March 23, 2020 the board chose Michael Bettencourt as Chair (unanimously) and Susan Verdicchio as Vice Chair (3-2, over Jacqueline Welch; roll calls). On March 26, 2020 the board voted to move the 2020 annual town election to June 20, 2020 because of COVID-19 (it signed the new election warrant on May 28, 2020); the same five members served all year. From March 2020 the board met remotely (Zoom), and every vote was a roll call. Covers 43 meetings, March 23 to March 22, 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.
From the agendas Winchester posts on its official site. Agendas can change; the posted agenda is the official one.
What Town Meeting decided
In Winchester, 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. Town Meeting members are elected by precinct; counts are from the town’s electronic voting.
Spring Town Meeting · April 27, 2026 38 votes: 32 passed, 3 failed, 2 no action, 1 referred
Sessions: April 27, April 30, May 4 and May 7, 2026
Art. 16 · motion 8Capital: $102,000 for Building Department records managementPassed“Motion Carried Voice Vote”
Art. 16 · motion 9Capital: $150,000 from water and sewer retained earnings for MS4 permit compliancePassed“Motion Carried Voice Vote”
Art. 16 · motion 10Capital: $75,000 from water and sewer retained earnings for water treatment plant computer programmingPassed“Motion Carried Voice Vote”
Art. 2Vacate Town Meeting member seats under Charter Sec. 2.5(c) (consent agenda; motion was to indefinitely postpone)Indefinitely postponed“Motion Carried Voice Vote”
Not here yet: Some Winchester articles are not here because the Town Clerk has not posted their certified votes (including the FY2027 budget articles from the 2026 Spring Town Meeting), and the February 9, 2026 Special Town Meeting has no posted results; the 2026 Fall Town Meeting is on November 5, 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: Winchester Select Board minutes from January 5, 2018 through September 14, 2026: 275 meetings and 3,365 votes. The town posts the board’s minutes in its Agenda Center from 2013, and older Board of Selectmen minutes (2004–2012) in its Document Center; MassVoter has loaded 2018 on. Until April 2018 the board was the Board of Selectmen: the Fall 2017 Town Meeting voted to rename it, the March 27, 2018 town election approved the change, and the minutes use “Select Board” from April 23, 2018. The minutes are typed documents with searchable text (five are Word files posted in the minutes slot). Missing: the minutes of the 13 meetings from November 17, 2025 through May 18, 2026 are not posted (November 17 and December 1, 2025; January 12, January 26, February 12, February 23, March 2, March 16, March 30, April 6, April 13, April 27 and May 18, 2026); the town has posted their agendas only. MassVoter is asking the town for them. Also not here: the October 22, 2018 meeting, whose minutes slot holds the minutes of the October 19, 2018 meeting (loaded under October 19); executive-session minutes; votes of the School Committee, the Planning Board, the Board of Assessors and the Housing Authority at joint meetings (only the Select Board members’ votes are shown); and meetings after September 14, 2026 (the September 28 and October 5, 2026 minutes are not posted yet). Winchester’s minutes give each motion with its mover and seconder (“McGonigle - Bettencourt”) and then the vote. In 2018 and 2019 most votes say “All in favor … VOTED”, shown as every member present voting yes. Roll calls (“Roll Call: Bettencourt, Prior, McGonigle, Brady”), used for every vote at the remote meetings of 2020–2022 and since for executive sessions and some other votes, list the members voting yes and are shown by name; a member present but left out of a roll call is not shown voting, with a note. Split votes list the members on each side (“Yes: Brady, Fallon, McGonigle, Prior … No: Bettencourt”; “In favor: … Not in favor: …”) and abstentions by name; these are shown by name when they fit the count and the attendance. Since in-person meetings resumed in March 2022, most other votes are written only as “Brady - Bettencourt VOTED”, with no names, no count and no “All in favor”; those votes show the result only (1,112 votes in all). 3 votes show the count only, where the count and the names or the attendance do not match. A motion with no recorded vote is not counted as a vote. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.
Most board votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one member voted no or abstained, newest first.
Feb 22Adopt the Winchester Statement on Mental and Emotional Health…Motion: *Motion That the Select Board adopt the Winchester Statement on Mental…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
February 22, 2021: Adopt the Winchester Statement on Mental and Emotional Health as presented
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
*Motion That the Select Board adopt the Winchester Statement on Mental and Emotional Health as presented. Verdicchio - Shapiro Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED
Jacqueline Welch joined the meeting only at its close, so she is not shown on this vote.
From the minutes
“*Motion That the Select Board adopt the Winchester Statement on Mental and Emotional Health as presented. Verdicchio - Shapiro Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED.” (Motion: Verdicchio, second: Shapiro)
Feb 22Approve the Town of Winchester Emergency Resolution regarding evictions…Motion: *Motion That the Select Board approve the Town of Winchester Emergency…Passed · see note
February 22, 2021: Approve the Town of Winchester Emergency Resolution regarding evictions as presented
Adopt resolutionPassed · No count or names in the minutes
*Motion That the Select Board approve the Town of Winchester Emergency Resolution regarding evictions as presented. Verdicchio - Goluboff Roll Call: Verdicchio, Welch, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED
Jacqueline Welch joined the meeting only at its close, so she is not shown on this vote. The vote lists Jacqueline Welch, who was not recorded as present at the time; the names and the attendance do not match, so the result only is shown.
From the minutes
“*Motion That the Select Board approve the Town of Winchester Emergency Resolution regarding evictions as presented. Verdicchio - Goluboff Roll Call: Verdicchio, Welch, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED.” (Motion: Verdicchio, second: Goluboff)
Feb 22Appoint Mary Grassi to the Design Review Committee for…Motion: *Motion That the Select Board appoint Mary Grassi to the Design…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
February 22, 2021: Appoint Mary Grassi to the Design Review Committee for a term to expire December 31, 2022
AppointPassed · Unanimous, 4 present
*Motion That the Select Board appoint Mary Grassi to the Design Review Committee for a term to expire December 31, 2022. Verdicchio - Goluboff Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED
Jacqueline Welch joined the meeting only at its close, so she is not shown on this vote.
From the minutes
“*Motion That the Select Board appoint Mary Grassi to the Design Review Committee for a term to expire December 31, 2022. Verdicchio - Goluboff Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED.” (Motion: Verdicchio, second: Goluboff)
Feb 22Appoint John Clemson to the Heritage District Commission for…Motion: *Motion That the Select Board appoint John Clemson to the Heritage…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
February 22, 2021: Appoint John Clemson to the Heritage District Commission for a term to expire July 15, 2022
AppointPassed · Unanimous, 4 present
*Motion That the Select Board appoint John Clemson to the Heritage District Commission for a term to expire July 15, 2022. Verdicchio - Shapiro Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED
Jacqueline Welch joined the meeting only at its close, so she is not shown on this vote.
From the minutes
“*Motion That the Select Board appoint John Clemson to the Heritage District Commission for a term to expire July 15, 2022. Verdicchio - Shapiro Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED.” (Motion: Verdicchio, second: Shapiro)
Feb 22Appoint Andrew Kelley to the Wildwood Cemetery Advisory Committee…Motion: *Motion That the Select Board appoint Andrew Kelley to the Wildwood…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
February 22, 2021: Appoint Andrew Kelley to the Wildwood Cemetery Advisory Committee for a term to expire May 31, 2022
AppointPassed · Unanimous, 4 present
*Motion That the Select Board appoint Andrew Kelley to the Wildwood Cemetery Advisory Committee for a term to expire May 31, 2022. Verdicchio - Goluboff Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED
Jacqueline Welch joined the meeting only at its close, so she is not shown on this vote.
From the minutes
“*Motion That the Select Board appoint Andrew Kelley to the Wildwood Cemetery Advisory Committee for a term to expire May 31, 2022. Verdicchio - Goluboff Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED.” (Motion: Verdicchio, second: Goluboff)
Feb 22Approve the staging permit for Signarama Somerville for James…Motion: *Motion That the Select Board approve the staging permit for Signarama…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
February 22, 2021: Approve the staging permit for Signarama Somerville for James Covino, at 41 Thompson Street to install a new sign in existing brackets
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
*Motion That the Select Board approve the staging permit for Signarama Somerville for James Covino, at 41 Thompson Street to install a new sign in existing brackets. Verdicchio - Shapiro Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED
Jacqueline Welch joined the meeting only at its close, so she is not shown on this vote.
From the minutes
“*Motion That the Select Board approve the staging permit for Signarama Somerville for James Covino, at 41 Thompson Street to install a new sign in existing brackets. Verdicchio - Shapiro Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED.” (Motion: Verdicchio, second: Shapiro)
Jan 25Approve the Moderator's request to allow the conduct of…Motion: *Motion That the Select Board approve the Moderator's request to allow…Passed 4–0 · see note
January 25, 2021: Approve the Moderator's request to allow the conduct of the Winchester Spring Town Meeting, scheduled to commence on April 26, 2021, through remote participation as set forth in the Moderator's...
ApprovePassed · 4–0
*Motion That the Select Board approve the Moderator's request to allow the conduct of the Winchester Spring Town Meeting, scheduled to commence on April 26, 2021, through remote participation as set forth in the Moderator's letter dated January 20, 2021. Verdicchio - Goluboff Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED
Yes: Bettencourt, Goluboff, Shapiro, VerdicchioThe roll call does not list Jacqueline Welch, who was present; that member is not shown voting.
From the minutes
“*Motion That the Select Board approve the Moderator's request to allow the conduct of the Winchester Spring Town Meeting, scheduled to commence on April 26, 2021, through remote participation as set forth in the Moderator's letter dated January 20, 2021. Verdicchio - Goluboff Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED.” (Motion: Verdicchio, second: Goluboff)
Jan 11Appoint Betsy Sands to the Affordable Housing Trust Committee…Motion: *Motion That the Select Board appoint Betsy Sands to the Affordable…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
January 11, 2021: Appoint Betsy Sands to the Affordable Housing Trust Committee for a term to expire April 30, 2021
AppointPassed · Unanimous, 4 present
*Motion That the Select Board appoint Betsy Sands to the Affordable Housing Trust Committee for a term to expire April 30, 2021. Verdicchio - Goluboff Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED
Jacqueline Welch had left the meeting before this vote and is not shown.
From the minutes
“*Motion That the Select Board appoint Betsy Sands to the Affordable Housing Trust Committee for a term to expire April 30, 2021. Verdicchio - Goluboff Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED.” (Motion: Verdicchio, second: Goluboff)
Jan 11Reappoint Shukong Ou to the Cultural Council for a…Motion: *Motion That the Select Board reappoint Shukong Ou to the Cultural…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
January 11, 2021: Reappoint Shukong Ou to the Cultural Council for a term to expire July 31, 2023
AppointPassed · Unanimous, 4 present
*Motion That the Select Board reappoint Shukong Ou to the Cultural Council for a term to expire July 31, 2023. Verdicchio - Goluboff Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED
Jacqueline Welch had left the meeting before this vote and is not shown.
From the minutes
“*Motion That the Select Board reappoint Shukong Ou to the Cultural Council for a term to expire July 31, 2023. Verdicchio - Goluboff Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED.” (Motion: Verdicchio, second: Goluboff)
Jan 11Reappoint Eileen Rustin to the Disability Access Committee for…Motion: *Motion That the Select Board reappoint Eileen Rustin to the Disability…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
January 11, 2021: Reappoint Eileen Rustin to the Disability Access Committee for a term to expire August 31, 2023
AppointPassed · Unanimous, 4 present
*Motion That the Select Board reappoint Eileen Rustin to the Disability Access Committee for a term to expire August 31, 2023. Verdicchio - Goluboff Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED
Jacqueline Welch had left the meeting before this vote and is not shown.
From the minutes
“*Motion That the Select Board reappoint Eileen Rustin to the Disability Access Committee for a term to expire August 31, 2023. Verdicchio - Goluboff Roll Call: Verdicchio, Shapiro, Goluboff, Bettencourt VOTED.” (Motion: Verdicchio, second: Goluboff)
From the Winchester Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s Agenda Center (Select Board). 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 no Select Board photos): Winchester News candidate profiles — Michelle Prior and Michael Bettencourt (2026), Anthea Brady and William McGonigle (2025), courtesy of the candidates. Cropped by MassVoter. Former members show initials.