Town Government - Officials

Executive Secretary
The job of the executive secretary is to provide coordination among all of the town offices and departments and to act frequently as secretary to the selectmen. Many of the executive secretaries look for and apply for grants to aid in the efficient operation of their towns. The secretaries are appointed by the selectmen. All six towns on the Vineyard have this position.

Moderator
The moderator is an elected town official who presides at the town meetings, regulating the proceedings, deciding all questions of order and making public declaration of all votes. No person addresses the meeting without permission from the moderator. The people may vote to request the moderator appoint committees. Rules for conducting each town's town meeting are found in its bylaws.

Selectmen
The office of selectman in Massachusetts has existed for over 300 years, and the power of the board, as stipulated by general statute and town bylaws, has changed little. The board of selectmen of each town is mandated to carry out the measures voted at town meeting. Five of the six towns have three selectmen, elected at large for staggered three year-terms. Oak Bluffs has enlarged its board of selectmen to five members. The selectmen share political power with a host of other elected officers and boards. The All-Island Selectmen's Association, which meets monthly, serves to coordinate action on mutual town problems.

Tax Collector
The tax collector, an elected official, is responsible for all the billing and collecting of local real and personal property taxes and also collects state motor vehicle excise taxes payable to the towns.

Town Accountant
The town accountant is appointed by the selectmen for a three-year term. This officer is responsible for keeping all department accounts and approving vouchers signed by department heads. He/she approves payments to be made by the treasurer and prepares a periodic list of town expenditures for the selectmen's approval. The accountant provides a detailed record of the town's financial transactions; this record is published annually in the town report and is audited at prescribed intervals.

Town Clerk
The town clerk's office is the place to obtain petition forms and nomination papers. This office issues marriage licenses and copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates, as well as hunting, fishing, and dog licenses. The clerk, an elected official, records the proceedings of all town meetings and keeps official records of all town events, including its vital statistics. Other duties include voter registration, preparing voter lists, and swearing in all of the town officials. The clerk is chairman of the town's board of registrars of voters.

Treasurer
The town treasurer, usually an elected official, is the custodian of all town funds. All payments are made by the treasurer in accordance with the town warrants. This officer negotiates, awards, and prepares all notes issued by the town for borrowing; these are countersigned by the selectmen. The treasurer invests surplus funds of the town and is responsible for management of the interest and debt schedules.

Town Government Information

See also specific town government information for useful telephone numbers and contact information for various boards and public offices, both elected and appointed.