Mark Howell won’t seek second Select Board term
“It’s an honor to serve a community that does the kinds of things that Acton does every day.”
Select Board Chair Mark Howell says he won’t seek reelection next year, setting the stage for a new member to join the town’s top panel.
Howell announced his decision in a letter to the editor published in this week’s Acton Bridge.
He said he will serve out his current term but is opting out of another run because of “personal matters that will need my attention over the next several years.”
Howell’s time in town government includes a stint on the Finance Committee in the 2000s. He was Acton’s chief information officer from 2011 until 2020, during which time he helped launch the town’s broadband service.
He defeated Karlen Reed for a Select Board seat in 2023 and has spent the last six months as board chair. Among his recent efforts, Howell has helped guide the redevelopment of the MCI-Acton prison property.
No one has yet formally announced plans to seek next year’s lone open Select Board seat, but Howell said he’s confident that a good leader will emerge.
“It’s an honor to serve a community that does the kinds of things that Acton does every day,” he told The Bridge in a phone interview.
Some in town flagged the 2025 municipal election as especially acrimonious, but Howell said that didn’t factor into his decision not to seek another term.
As to whether he plans to endorse a candidate for the spring election, “I generally trust the voters to decide,” he said, and “probably will not try to put my finger on that scale.”
Current Select Board Clerk Wendy Rovelli said she’ll miss Howell, praising him as “a strong, thoughtful leader” and “a calming presence when things are a little tense.”
Former chair and current board member Mary Hartman called Howell a public servant of “unquestionable integrity.”
“It’s up to us to try to fill those shoes,” she said.
In the short term, Howell said he’s got “some things that I’m going to need to focus on,” but he will look to stay involved in civic life.
Voters are scheduled to make nominations at the January 26, 2026, Town Caucus. Election day is March 31.
