MassVoter.com← WrenthamMunicipal votes · 2024–2025 Board
Wrentham Select Board
How the Wrentham Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide for three-year terms. On April 2, 2024 the board chose Joseph Botaish as Chair, Christopher Gallo as Vice Chair and William Harrington as Clerk (each 5-0). Mr. Botaish, a member since 2010 and Chair since 2015, died in January 2025 (the town announced his death on January 16, 2025); from then on four members served, with Mr. Gallo presiding. His last meeting was December 16, 2024; he was absent on January 7, 2025. Covers 29 meetings, April 2 to April 1, 2025.
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 budgetYour Wrentham ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.
Start my ballot →Board years
Coming up
- Tue, Oct 13Select Board →
From the agendas Wrentham posts on its official site. Agendas can change; the posted agenda is the official one.
Members
ChairJoseph BotaishChair · Select Board member (townwide) · at 14 of 21 meetings · until Jan 2025
Vice-ChairChristopher GalloVice Chair · Select Board member (townwide) · at 27 of 29 meetings
James AndersonMember · Select Board member (townwide) · at 26 of 29 meetings
William HarringtonClerk · Select Board member (townwide) · at 29 of 29 meetings
Michelle RouseMember · Select Board member (townwide) · at 29 of 29 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: Wrentham Select Board minutes (the board was called the Board of Selectmen until 2024) from January 2, 2018 through September 1, 2026, 197 meetings. Minutes from 2018 to June 2023 come from the town’s public documents on eCode360 (linked from the town’s Public Records page; they go back to 2009, and MassVoter has loaded 2018 on); minutes from June 20, 2023 on come from the town’s Agenda Center. Not here: minutes before 2018; executive-session minutes; ceremonies such as swearing-ins; meetings with an agenda but no posted minutes, including the board’s sessions on several Town Meeting nights, October 16, November 18 and November 21, 2025, and June 1, 2026; and meetings after September 1, 2026, whose minutes are not posted yet. Nearly all of Wrentham’s minutes are scanned paper copies with a text layer made by the scanner (one 2021 file had none, so MassVoter read it with its own text recognition); we checked unclear votes against the page images, but quoted words may keep small reading errors. Through 2019 most votes read “the Board voted unanimously to …”, shown as every member present voting yes; from late 2019 into 2020 many votes say only “Motion carries” with no count or names, and those show the result only and are not treated as unanimous; since the board began meeting remotely in March 2020 nearly every vote is a roll call that lists each member’s vote by name, and we show each vote as recorded. Where a roll call leaves out a member who was present, names one the minutes list as absent, or does not match the stated count, we show the count only or add a note; when the count shows every member present voting yes but the roll call as written leaves one out (May 20 and June 3, 2025; February 21 to March 21, 2023), each member present is shown voting yes, with a note. Members who stepped aside, answered “n/a” or gave no response are not shown as voting. A March 5, 2024 motion recorded as “voted to approve/deny” with no vote is not shown. Joseph Botaish, a member since 2010, died in January 2025; the board had four members until Roy Lamothe joined in April 2025. Votes by other boards at joint meetings (School Committee, Library Trustees) are not included; where the board voted together with another board, only the Select Board members’ votes are shown. 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.
Mar 18Exercise its option to purchase 2095 West Street, contingent…Motion: Motion made by Mr. Harrington, seconded by Ms. Rouse, the Board…Passed 3–1 · No: Anderson
March 18, 2025: Exercise its option to purchase 2095 West Street, contingent upon Town Meeting approval, by sending a notice of exercise to the property's owners in accordance with G.L. c. 614, S…
Motion made by Mr. Harrington, seconded by Ms. Rouse, the Board voted to exercise its option to purchase 2095 West Street, contingent upon Town Meeting approval, by sending a notice of exercise to the property's owners in accordance with G.L. c. 614, S 14.
Yes: Gallo, Harrington, RouseNo: Anderson
From the minutes
“Motion made by Mr. Harrington, seconded by Ms. Rouse, the Board voted to exercise its option to purchase 2095 West Street, contingent upon Town Meeting approval, by sending a notice of exercise to the property's owners in accordance with G.L. c. 614, S 14. Followed by a roll call vote, Mr. Anderson - no, Mr. Gallo - yes, Mr. Harrington - yes, Ms. Rouse - yes. Motion carries, 3-.” (Motion: Harrington, second: Rouse)
Mar 18Approve the Memorandum of Agreement with Wrentham Permanent Firefighters…Motion: The Board voted to approve the Memorandum of Agreement with Wrentham…Passed · see note
March 18, 2025: Approve the Memorandum of Agreement with Wrentham Permanent Firefighters Local-2579 dated March 5, 2022, as presented and authorized the Town Manager to sign on the Board's behalf
The Board voted to approve the Memorandum of Agreement with Wrentham Permanent Firefighters Local-2579 dated March 5, 2022, as presented and authorized the Town Manager to sign on the Board's behalf.
The minutes record this only as "the Board voted"; they do not give a count or say how each member voted.
From the minutes
“The Board voted to approve the Memorandum of Agreement with Wrentham Permanent Firefighters Local-2579 dated March 5, 2022, as presented and authorized the Town Manager to sign on the Board's behalf..”
Nov 19Approve the Commercial, Industrial/Personal Property factor of 1.39 with…Motion: Motion made by Mr. Anderson, seconded by Ms. Rouse, the Board…Passed 4–1 · No: Harrington
November 19, 2024: Approve the Commercial, Industrial/Personal Property factor of 1.39 with a residential factor of .921
Motion made by Mr. Anderson, seconded by Ms. Rouse, the Board voted to approve the Commercial, Industrial/Personal Property factor of 1.39 with a residential factor of .921.
Yes: Anderson, Botaish, Gallo, RouseNo: Harrington
From the minutes
“Motion made by Mr. Anderson, seconded by Ms. Rouse, the Board voted to approve the Commercial, Industrial/Personal Property factor of 1.39 with a residential factor of .921. Followed by a roll call vote, Anderson - yes, Botaish - yes, Gallo - yes, Harrington - no, Rouse - yes. Motion carries, 4-1.” (Motion: Anderson, second: Rouse)
Nov 19Appoint Cynthia Fuller to the Wrentham Elementary School Committee…Motion: Motion made by Ms. Gonzales, seconded by Mr. Jordan, the Select…Passed 4–1 · No: Gallo
November 19, 2024: Appoint Cynthia Fuller to the Wrentham Elementary School Committee for a term effective immediately and expiring April 7, 2025
Motion made by Ms. Gonzales, seconded by Mr. Jordan, the Select Board and Wrentham Elementary School Committee voted to appoint Cynthia Fuller to the Wrentham Elementary School Committee for a term effective immediately and expiring April 7, 2025.
Yes: Anderson, Botaish, Harrington, RouseNo: GalloJoint vote with the Wrentham Elementary School Committee to fill a School Committee vacancy. Only the Select Board members' votes are shown; School Committee members Gonzales and Jordan voted yes and Greaney and Lashway no, for a combined count of 6-3. School Committee members made and seconded the motion.
From the minutes
“Motion made by Ms. Gonzales, seconded by Mr. Jordan, the Select Board and Wrentham Elementary School Committee voted to appoint Cynthia Fuller to the Wrentham Elementary School Committee for a term effective immediately and expiring April 7, 2025. Followed by a roll call vote, Ms. Gonzales-yes, Mr. Jordan - yes, Ms. Greaney - no, Mr. Lashway - no, Mr. Harrington - yes, Mr. Anderson - yes, Mr. Gallo - no, Ms. Rouse -yes, Mr. Botaish -yes. Motion carries, 6-3.”
Oct 21Appoint Peter Marinelli to the Town Manager Search CommitteeMotion: Motion made by Ms. Rouse, seconded by Mr. Anderson, the Board…Passed 3–0 · Abstained: Botaish
October 21, 2024: Appoint Peter Marinelli to the Town Manager Search Committee
Motion made by Ms. Rouse, seconded by Mr. Anderson, the Board voted to appoint Peter Marinellito the Town Manager Search Committee.
Yes: Anderson, Harrington, RouseAbstained: BotaishThe minutes say "Motion carries 3-1, Mr. Botaish abstained." Four members were present (Mr. Gallo was absent), so the other three are shown voting yes and Mr. Botaish as abstaining. The minutes give only the count, not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Motion made by Ms. Rouse, seconded by Mr. Anderson, the Board voted to appoint Peter Marinellito the Town Manager Search Committee. Motion carries 3-1.” (Motion: Rouse, second: Anderson)
Jul 9Appoint Jane D'Amico to the Community Preservation Committee for…Motion: Motion made by Ms. Rouse, seconded by Mr. Gallo, the Board…Passed 3–1 · No: Harrington
July 9, 2024: Appoint Jane D'Amico to the Community Preservation Committee for a term effective immediately and expiring June 30, 2027
Motion made by Ms. Rouse, seconded by Mr. Gallo, the Board voted to appoint Jane D'Amico to the Community Preservation Committee for a term effective immediately and expiring June 30, 2027.
Yes: Botaish, Gallo, RouseNo: Harrington
From the minutes
“Motion made by Ms. Rouse, seconded by Mr. Gallo, the Board voted to appoint Jane D'Amico to the Community Preservation Committee for a term effective immediately and expiring June 30, 2027. Followed by a roll call vote, Botaish - yes, Gallo - yes, Harrington - no, Rouse - yes. Motion carries, 3-.” (Motion: Rouse, second: Gallo)
Jun 18The Great and General Court the home rule petition…Motion: Motion made by Mr. Anderson, seconded by Mr. Harrington, the Board…Passed · see note
June 18, 2024: The Great and General Court the home rule petition as authorized at the June 3, 2024Town Meeting as Article 23 and to authorize the use of electronic signatures
Motion made by Mr. Anderson, seconded by Mr. Harrington, the Board voted to submit to the Great and General Court the home rule petition as authorized at the June 3, 2024Town Meeting as Article 23 and to authorize the use of electronic signatures.
The minutes record this only as "the Board voted"; they do not give a count or say how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Motion made by Mr. Anderson, seconded by Mr. Harrington, the Board voted to submit to the Great and General Court the home rule petition as authorized at the June 3, 2024Town Meeting as Article 23 and to authorize the use of electronic signatures..” (Motion: Anderson, second: Harrington)
From the Wrentham Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s Agenda Center (June 2023 on) and its eCode360 public documents (2018 to June 2023). We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: The Sun Chronicle (Chris Gallo, 2021 candidate photo; Joseph Botaish, January 2025) and Town of Wrentham award photos published by The Sun Chronicle (James Anderson, Michelle Rouse and William Harrington, October 2024 Town Meeting; Roy Lamothe, December 2025). No photos yet for former members Charles Kennedy, Stephen Langley, Jerome McGovern and Gerard Nolan.
How to read these pagesWhere the votes come from, how we check them against the official minutes, what isn't included yet, and how to report a mistake.About city pages →