North Andover Selectmen To Consider Gender-Neutral Renaming

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — The North Andover Board of Selectmen will discuss a warrant article that would change the board's name at their meeting Monday. Following similar changes by other Massachusetts communities, including Andover last year, the change would make the board's name gender-neutral.

A "new business" item on the Board's March 9 agenda is "discussion of potential article regarding changing name of Board of Selectmen to reflect gender-neutral language."

A number of other municipalities around the state have changed their Boards of Selectmen and Aldermen's names. Lexington switched to Select Board in January, while in October Melrose's Board of Aldermen became a City Council, becoming the last city in the state to do so. Andover switched over to Select Board last year.

Select boards are unique to local government in New England, where town meetings have prevailed. While town meeting makes the big picture decisions, select boards — like a mayor in a city — handle the day-to-day functions of local government administration, along with the town managers they hire. Georgetown, CO is the only town outside of New England that uses the term selectmen or select board.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.