Board of Selectmen

Current Selectmen & Contact Information

Town Administrator

General Powers and Duties

Current Selectmen & Contact Information

Selectmen

Selectmen’s Office
Town Hall
550 Hanover Street, Suite 29
Hanover, MA 02339

Hours

(781) 826-2261
 

Meetings

The Board of Selectmen meets on Monday evenings at 7:00 PM in the Selectmen’s Office on the first floor at Hanover Town Hall unless otherwise posted at the office of the Town Clerk.  Meeting Agendas are often posted on the Website's Calendar of Events.
 

Town Administrator

Stephen S. Rollins, Town Administrator

General Powers and Duties

The Board of Selectmen consists of three (3) members elected by the voters for three-year overlapping terms. The Board of Selectmen is the chief executive body of the Town. All activities under the Board are direct results of: Town Meeting directives, Hanover Bylaws, State or Federal laws or regulations.

The Board appoints, and reappoints, over 100 positions annually plus 120 Election Workers, 50+ Firefighters, 30+ Police Officers plus Special Police, and other positions as needed.

The Board licenses businesses and handles over 130 renewals annually. Among those licenses are Common Victualler, Automobile Dealer (three Classes plus Lease/Rental), General, Entertainment, Automatic Amusement, Sunday Entertainment, Junk Dealers, Auctioneers, plus Liquor Licenses of various types, and a Cable TV License.

Although most of the Selectmen’s activities deal with governance, last year $125,000 was generated by these services and another $20,000 for other Town-wide activities.

Annually the Selectmen’s Office receives approximately 3,500 calls.

Among their general powers and duties are to:

• Perform the duties assigned them by statute.

• Adopt policy directives and guidelines and enact rules and regulations to implement those policies.

• Prepare annual proposed operating and capital budgets.

• Act as agents of the Town.

• Act as local licensing authority.

• Approve all Town collective bargaining agreements.

• Responsible for the efficient and orderly operation of all agencies of the Town except those under the direction of another elected Town agency.

• Appoint the Town Administrator, Fire Chief, Police Chief, Municipal Finance Director/Town Accountant, Town Counsel, Town and Public Constables, and members of boards, committees, and commissions except as otherwise provided in the Town Bylaws or Town Meeting.

Selectmen’s Duties as Defined by Massachusetts Statute

Following is a listing of state statutes describing the detailed powers and duties of the Board of Selectmen, acting as the chief executive board of the town.  To read these laws please visit the Massachusetts State Website which provides an online catalog of Massachusetts General Laws (MGL), by Chapter (C) and Section (s/§).

M.G.L.c.40, §2            Agents for Legal Actions

M.G.L.c.40, §3            Custodians of Town Property

M.G.L.c.82, §38          Layout Public Way

M.G.L.c.40, §14          Eminent Domain Takings

M.G.L.c.79, §7            Award Damages in Private Takings

M.G.L.c.79, §42          Structures in a Public Way

M.G.L.c.40, §4            Contracting Authority

M.G.L.c.42, §2            Locate Boundary Markers

M.G.L.c.9, §7              Create a Census

M.G.L.c.40, §49          Create an Annual Town Report

M.G.L.c.40, §19          Emergency Authority

M.G.L.c.233, §8          Summon Witnesses

M.G.L.c.41, §23B       Investigate Any Department

M.G.L.c.41, §1            Appointing Authority

M.G.L.c.41, §55          Appoint Accountant

M.G.L.c.115, §3          Appoint Veterans’ Agent

M.G.L.c.51, §15          Appoint Registrar

M.G.L.c.54, §12          Appoint Warden and Election Officers

M.G.L.c.41                  Appoint Police, Fire, Counsel, etc.

M.G.L.c.140, §2          Licensing Authority - Common Victualler

M.G.L.c.138                Licensing Authority - Liquor

M.G.L.c.140                Licensing Authority - Automobile Dealers, Junk Dealers, Entertainment, etc.

M.G.L.c.148, §13        Storage of Explosives

M.G.L.c.33, §4            Public Safety – Disasters

M.G.L.c.90, §14          Regulate Motor Vehicles

M.G.L.c.54, §6            Set up Voting Precincts, Call Elections, etc.

M.G.L.c.158, §14        Permit Street Openings

M.G.L.c.159A, §1       Regulate Taxis, Trains, etc.

M.G.L.c.41, §56          Authorize Town Expenditures

M.G.L.c.44, §22          Sign Borrowings

M.G.L.c.41, §35          Set Officials’ Bonds

M.G.L.c.44, §31          Authorize Overexpenditures

M.G.L.c.140 §157       Judge Vicious Dogs

M.G.L.c.94, §221        Set Fees

M.G.L.c.41, §110        Declaration of Half Holidays

M.G.L.c.139, §2          Dispose of Dangerous Buildings

M.G.L.c.180, §5          Investigate Charitable Corporations