Assembly of Delegates

The Assembly of Delegates, in conjunction with the Board of County  Commissioners, the executive branch of the Cape Cod Regional Government, work together to preserve and enhance regional services in Barnstable County.  This is the branch of County government responsible for adopting new legislation (ordinances) and maintaining checks and balances over the executive branch.

In 1989, by an Act of the Massachusetts General Court and confirmed by a majority of Barnstable County voters, the Barnstable County Home Rule Charter went into effect and the first session of the Assembly of Delegates convened.  All legislative powers of the County are vested in the Assembly of Delegates and, except as provided in the Barnstable County Home Rule Charter, the acts of the Assembly of Delegates are required to be by Ordinance. Periodically the Assembly of Delegates adopts Resolutions regarding issues of regional importance to Barnstable County.

Barnstable County government has always been recognized as the exception to failing county governments in Massachusetts and has served as a model for the successful regionalization of services. The Barnstable County Home Rule Charter authorizes a County tax to fund these regional services, and each town pays a certain percentage based on its assessed valuation. This tax is in addition to the Deeds Excise Tax, received by all counties in the Commonwealth, and an assessment authorized in 1990 by an Act of the Massachusetts General Court and confirmed by a majority of Barnstable County voters for the Cape Cod Commission Environmental Protection Fund.

15 Assembly members are elected on a non-partisan basis from each town on Cape Cod.

There are fifteen towns located within Barnstable County, and each town is duly represented on the Assembly of Delegates. Delegates are elected by the voters in each of their municipalities.

At the beginning of each legislative session of the Assembly or when there is a vacancy, a Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected from its membership.

Speaker: Yarmouth Delegate Susan Warner is the Speaker for the Nineteenth Session of the Assembly of Delegates.

Deputy Speaker: Brewster Delegate Karl Fryzel is the Deputy Speaker for the Nineteenth Session of the Assembly of Delegates.

Dean of the Assembly: Dennis Delegate John Ohman, the longest serving member on the Assembly of Delegates, holds the honorary title of Dean of the Assembly. The Assembly voted him Dean of the Assembly on February 15, 2017, and he will hold that title and honorary position until he leaves office.

Clerk of the Assembly of Delegates: Owen Fletcher was elected Clerk of the Assembly of Delegates for the Nineteenth Session. The clerk gives notice of all meetings to its members and to the public, keeps a journal and other records of all of its proceedings and performs other duties assigned by the charter, by ordinance, or by Assembly vote.

 

Delegates serve two-year terms (ending in even years).

The Assembly of Delegates uses a weighted voting system. A Delegate’s vote is weighted based on the 2020 U.S. Decennial Census. The town of Barnstable, for example, has the largest vote of 21.36% and Truro the smallest vote of 1.07%.

The percentages listed below are sometimes rounded to the nearest hundredth on official documents. However, exact numbers are always used for all vote calculations and such rounding is always noted.

Delegates were elected for the Nineteenth Session of the Assembly of Delegates in November 2024, and took office on January 1, 2025. The next elections will take place in November, 2026.

The full Assembly of Delegates holds hybrid regular meetings on the first and third Wednesdays of each month typically beginning at 4 PM in the Mary Pat Flynn Conference Center at the County Complex located at 3195 Main Street, Route 6A in Barnstable, MA. The meetings can also be accessed online via Microsoft Teams. The Assembly maintains a business office staffed by the Clerk of the Assembly of Delegates located at the Old Jail Building at the County Complex.

Yes.

The Business Calendar (meeting notice and agenda) identifies key communication topics, and items scheduled for discussion and action by the Assembly of Delegates. The Journal of Proceedings (meeting minutes) of the regular meetings are available to the public. The Assembly of Delegates has Standing Committees to deal with important issues facing the County. Committee meetings are where the Assembly’s work takes place prior to regular meetings. Standing Committees meet to hold public meetings on Proposed Ordinances and prepare a report for the full Assembly prior to a vote by the legislative body.

You can watch meetings, both live and archived at https://www.youtube.com/user/BarnstableCounty.

The office telephone is (508) 375-6761 or email the Assembly of Delegates Clerk.