BOSTON REGION METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION HOME CONTACT US SEARCH SITE MAP
About Us
Metropolitan Planning Activities
Programs
MPO / CTPS Resources
Meetings and Events
Get Involved
Links
Boston Region MPO – MPO Election Process
OVERVIEW • WHAT IS AN MPO? • MPO MEMBERSHIP • MPO ELECTION PROCESS •
MPO REGION MAP • NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
Each year the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) holds an election of municipal members and provides information to members of the public on the MPO´s election process and activities. Nominations in this election are now open.

One city and one town are elected to three-year terms to serve on the MPO. The chief elected officials of the 101 municipalities in the MPO may cast ballots. The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and the MBTA Advisory Board administer the election of the municipal members. The election typically takes place at the MAPC Annual Meeting in May.

Map of the MPO Showing MAPC Subregions

Currently, the elected MPO member municipalities, with the corresponding MAPC subregions indicated in parentheses, are: the cities of Newton (Inner Core), Somerville (Inner Core), and Salem (North Shore Task Force), and the towns of Bedford (Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal Coordination), Framingham (MetroWest Growth Management Committee), and Hopkinton (SouthWest Advisory Planning Committee). The seats currently held by the City of Newton and the Town of Hopkinton will be open for election in 2008.
Eligibility
Every municipality has an equal opportunity to run for election. Providing geographic diversity of municipal members on the MPO is important, so no more than one municipality per MAPC subregion may be elected, except for the Inner Core subregion, which may have two elected municipal seats (in addition to the City of Boston, which is a permanent member of the MPO).

In 2008, municipalities in the North Suburban Planning Council, Inner Core, SouthWest Advisory Planning Committee, Three Rivers Interlocal Council, and South Shore Coalition subregions are eligible to be nominated for election.

A list of eligible municipalities will be available in the spring of 2008.
Notification
A letter of notification will be sent from MAPC and the MBTA Advisory Board to the chief elected official of every municipality in the MPO region. It will include all of the details necessary for participation in the election process, either as a candidate municipality, an endorsing chief elected official, or a voting municipality.
Nominating Process
Nominations for the municipal seats on the MPO are made by any five chief elected officials from the MPO region. Chief elected officials are: in cities, the mayor or, if there is no mayor, the chairman of the city council, or, as in Cambridge, the city manager; in towns, the chairman of the board of selectmen. Chief elected officials may sign nomination papers for only one city and one town.

The MAPC subregions have the right to nominate municipal candidates, provided that each nomination is supported by five signatures of chief elected officials from the 101 municipalities in the Boston region.

The nomination papers must include a statement of candidacy (250-word limit) from the nominated municipality. Nominations must be filed with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council in person or by certified mail at MAPC, Attn: Marc Draisen, Executive Director, 60 Temple Place, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02111.

If the designated officer of MAPC and the designated officer of the MBTA Advisory Board determine that nominations received by the nomination deadline provide insufficient geographic diversity, they notify the president of MAPC and the chairman of the Advisory Board, who will then convene the chairs of all the MAPC subregions to discuss nominations. The chairs caucus with the members of their subregions, and each subregion may then submit one additional municipal nomination, endorsed by five chief elected officials. A chief elected official may sign only one nomination paper in this additional process.
Steps
MAPC and the MBTA Advisory Board prepare the ballot, which includes the list of nominated cities and towns. Candidate municipalities (with their subregion noted) appear on the ballot in an order drawn by lot by designated officers of MAPC and the Advisory Board. A candidates booklet is then issued; it contains the list of candidates in the same order in which they will appear on the ballot, along with statements of candidacy from all nominees.

MAPC and the MBTA Advisory Board usually conduct a Candidates Night or a similar forum in order to provide an opportunity to meet representatives of candidate municipalities and discuss issues.

The ballot information and the date and location of any Candidates Night or other forum are posted on this website.
Election
The election is held at the MAPC Annual Meeting, which is held in May. Designated officers of MAPC and the MBTA Advisory Board supervise the election.

At the election, votes are cast by the chief elected official of each municipality in the MPO region or by the municipality´s designee. Each municipality may vote for one city and one town. The designee of a chief elected official must present a letter appointing the designee, signed by the chief elected official, to the designated officers of the election. This letter may be submitted either in person or by mail to MAPC. Designees may represent only one municipality. Designations may require the designee to vote for specific municipalities or vote at the discretion of the designee.

Absentee ballots may be filed if the chief elected official is unable to attend on election day and does not designate another individual to attend. Absentee ballots are valid for any election held during the Annual Meeting for which the candidates on the ballot are eligible to receive votes. Absentee ballots are filed in advance of the election at MAPC, Attn: Marc Draisen, Executive Director, 60 Temple Place, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02111.

The one city and one town that receive the most votes in their respective category are elected to a three-year term, provided that only one municipality is elected from any MAPC subregion. The chief elected official (or their designee) of municipalities elected to the MPO represent the municipality throughout their term in office. If the chief elected official is no longer in that office, the municipality retains that seat for the full term and the new chief elected official is the representative.

The designated officers of MAPC and of the MBTA Advisory Board certify the results of the election to the chairman of the MPO by 12:00 noon on the day following the election.
MPO Member Responsibilities

Each member of the MPO participates in the following:

Specific Responsibilities
The MPO must prepare and approve the following certification documents, which are part of the federal planning process:
  • The Transportation Improvement Program, which programs funds for surface transportation projects (both highway and transit)
  • The Unified Planning Work Program, which programs funds for transportation planning in the region
  • The Transportation Plan, the MPO´s long-range plan to prioritize and meet the region´s transportation needs
  • Documents demonstrating the conformity of plans and programs with applicable federal laws, including air quality, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VI, and Executive Orders
MPO Meetings
The Transportation Planning and Programming Committee , a standing committee of the MPO that includes all MPO members and the Regional Transportation Advisory Council, meets twice a month. Additional Transportation Planning and Programming Committee meetings are sometimes required for the work of subcommittees. The MPO meets as needed to complete the MPO´s business. Meetings are held during the day at the State Transportation Building in Boston.

Back to Top