Town Governance

The Town of Arlington is governed by the Town Manager Act, the By-Laws of the Town of Arlington, and Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 43A, Standard Form of Representative Town Meeting Government.

The executive branch is made up of a five-member Select Board, elected at large. The board hires a professional manager, the Town Manager, to administer the daily operations of the government. The legislative branch is a Town Meeting made up of 252 representatives, elected from each of the 21 precincts in Arlington. The Town Clerk notifies Town Meeting members of the time and place of Town Meetings.

The Select Board generally meet twice monthly on Mondays evenings. You can check the calendar for upcoming dates. You can also receive Select Board agendas via email by subscribing to their email list. Select Board meetings are broadcast on Arlington Community Media Inc (ACMi) live and repeated throughout the week. Check the Arlington Community Media Inc. website for channel and time.

Read a more detailed primer on Arlington Town Government compiled by Envision Arlington.

State Affiliations

Arlington is also a member of the 5th Massachusetts Congressional District and the 23rd and 24th Middlesex State Representative Districts. 

Schools

Schools are governed by a seven-member elected School Committee. The Committee hires a  Superintendent of Schools to administer daily operations.

Budgets

Town budgets are compiled by the Town Manager and reviewed by the Select Board and Finance Committee. School budgets are compiled by the Superintendent of Schools and reviewed by the School Committee. View current and previous budgets.

Annual Reports

Every year the Town publishes an Annual Report. The Annual Report is compiled by the Town Manager’s Office and includes reports submitted by every Town department, School department, and many Boards and Commissions working within the Town. You can view current and past reports here.

State Links

Look here for a list of Massachusetts government links including: Senate and Representative offices, major political parties, consumer affairs, and other state organizations.

Helpful Links

Town Manager
Select Board
Town Meeting
By-Laws of the Town of Arlington
Town Clerk
Arlington Precincts Map
School Committee
Boards and Commissions
Financial and Budget Information
Finance Committee
Annual Reports
State Links