A Select Board of Three or Five? Weston Residents to Vote Again This May
The Saga of Implementing Voters’ 2022 Directive
At the May 2022 Town Meeting, 72% of voters approved Article 24, a Citizens’ Petition authorizing the Select Board to expand its membership from three to five. Despite this clear mandate, the Select Board chose to interpret the election results as advisory and declined to take the necessary steps to seek legislative approval to place the question on a town-wide ballot—thereby denying residents the opportunity to vote on a final, binding decision.
In early 2024, after 20 months of persistence by town residents to move forward, the Select Board took action in the form of appointing a six-member internal Town Government Study Committee. The charge of this appointed Committee was to review and advise on an issue that voters had already overwhelmingly endorsed.
Committee Backs Status Quo Over Progress
The Government Study Committee held its first meeting in February 2024 and, in response to resident pressure, examined the Select Board structure as their first area of focus. On April 3rd of this year, the Committee officially announced its recommendation: to maintain a three-member Select Board. That recommendation was formally presented to the Select Board on April 8th. Throughout their process, the Committee repeatedly noted that the data were "not directional" and offered no clear consensus—yet they still issued a definitive recommendation to maintain the status quo.
Still the Right Move: A Larger Select Board for Smarter, Stronger Governance
Increased Representation: Expanding the Board can better reflect and represent our changing and diversifying population.
Diverse Expertise: Additional members can bring new ideas, professional competencies, life experiences, and perspectives to address complex challenges.
Improved Productivity: Due to Open Meeting Laws (OML), a five-member Board can enhance the ability to work between meetings and advance discussions on important issues. No organization can effectively tackle critical and complex issues if its executives can’t talk with one another outside of a biweekly meeting.
Reduced Workload: More members can decrease the workload of individual members and make serving on the Select Board more attractive.
Stronger Deliberation & Decision-Making: A larger board allows for more diverse perspectives, encourages open debate, and reduces the risk of a “go along to get along” culture—leading to more thoughtful and effective governance.
Expanding to a five-member Select Board aligns with a clear trend: 82% of towns in Massachusetts with populations between 10,000 and 14,000 already operate with five members, and more boards are making the shift from three to five. Moreover, all other elected boards in Weston, such as the School Committee and Planning Board, already operate with five members, and appointed boards range from five to nine members.
Examining the Committee’s Findings Through a Broader Lens
Committee’s Finding: Meetings will take longer with more members contributing diverse perspectives, and there is concern that increased debate will lead to gridlock and a less collaborative environment.
Broader Lens: That’s a strength—not a drawback. Thoughtful debate and diverse viewpoints lead to better-informed decisions on the issues that matter most. Again, all elected boards in Weston, already operate with five members, and appointed boards range from five to nine. These larger boards function effectively without issues related to collaboration or meeting efficiency.
Committee’s Finding: Uncontested elections are common in Weston, leading to concerns about whether positions can be filled with qualified candidates—or whether the Select Board might become an entry-level role.
Broader Lens: Weston’s election experience mirrors that of many similar towns that have successfully moved to five-member Select Boards without difficulty attracting qualified candidates. At the March 27 meeting, even the Committee acknowledged, “There has not been a noticeable shortage of candidates or more vacancies on the Select Board.” And Weston’s two other elected boards—the School Committee & Planning Board—also have five members and have had no issue filling seats with experienced members.
Committee’s Finding: With only three members on the board, any discussion between two members forms a quorum and must be held in an open meeting to ensure transparency and comply with Open Meeting Law.
Broader Lens: While the law sets clear expectations for Open Meeting Law compliance, a three-member board increases the likelihood that any conversation between two members could inadvertently constitute a quorum—raising legitimate concerns about transparency. Expanding to five members makes it easier to avoid accidental violations, allowing for more collaborative discussion without triggering OML restrictions.
Committee’s Finding: With five members, individual attendance may become less critical, potentially leading to more absences and less consistent participation.
Broader Lens: Other elected boards in Weston—like the School Committee and Planning Board—each have five members, while appointed committees range from five to nine. These groups have not reported attendance issues. In fact, larger boards often promote shared responsibility, sustained engagement, and make it easier to reach quorum and hold meetings.
Committee’s Finding: One benefit of a three-member board is the ease of rotating the Chair position, ensuring equal leadership opportunities over time.
Broader Lens: Not every board member may want to serve as chair. In fact, with five members it's often easier to rotate leadership fairly. Towns like Groton, which have successfully moved to five-member Select Boards, have adopted clear protocols for rotation. What truly matters is having an intentional process—not the size of the board.
Next Steps for Weston to Transition to a Five-Member Select Board
Attend Town Meeting on Monday, May 5 at 7:00 PM and vote (again) to support the expansion. We’re voting a second time because some members of the Select Board claim the 2022 mandate is stale and must be reaffirmed.
If passed by a simple majority at Town Meeting this May, the Select Board will file for a Special Act of the Massachusetts legislature with Representative Alice Peisch and State Senator Mike Barrett.
By the end of 2025, we anticipate approval of the Special Act by State Legislature as there is no precedence to deny.
In Winter 2026, Weston to hold a special election (including mail-in voting options) with a ballot question to confirm resident support for the approved Special Act to expand our Select Board to five.
In May 2026, Weston to hold elections to fill three Select Board seats, officially expanding the board to five members.
Democracy requires active participation and diligence. The decisions made at the Town Meeting on May 5th are important to Weston’s future, and your voice matters. Your vote matters.
Attend Weston Town Meeting
7:00 PM on Monday, May 5th
Weston High School