What Happens if a Municipality Violates the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law?
Massachusetts has rules under Chapter 30A: give the public enough notice, keep your meetings open, and maintain solid records. The law states that “[m]inutes of an open session, if they exist and whether approved or in draft form, shall be made available upon request by any person within 10 days.” G.L. c. 30A, § 22(c). Most boards genuinely try to follow this timeline, but municipal work is thorny, staff is stretched, and sometimes things slip. Sometimes, your municipality may violate the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.
What Counts as a Violation?
A violation doesn't necessarily mean someone did something malicious. It could be a….
Notice that went up a few days too late
Minutes that didn’t document every person who was in attendance
An email thread between board members that crossed a line nobody realized was there.
The law is detailed, so the gap between "we meant well" and "that's a violation" is smaller than most people think.
Anyone in the public can file a complaint with the Attorney General's Division of Open Government. A curious resident, a local reporter, or frankly anyone paying attention can trigger a formal review.
What Happens After a Complaint Is Filed?
Once a complaint is filed, the AG's office takes a look. Depending on what they find, they can:
Require board members to complete open meeting law training
Order records to be corrected or supplemented
Nullify votes taken improperly — meaning your board redoes it all, publicly
Issue civil fines up to $1,000 per intentional violation
If you’re faced with a complaint, always check with your municipality’s general counsel. Though, as a way of precaution, consider MuniTrac.
What is MuniTrac?
MuniTrac is a tool built to help municipalities comply with the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law by addressing documentation gaps. It assists municipalities in staying compliant by converting agendas and recordings into searchable transcripts and generated minutes.
Meeting the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law doesn’t have to be a burden. By converting agendas and recordings into searchable transcripts and generated minutes, MuniTrac turns being compliant into something your municipality can get ahead of, not one they violate.
Make sure you stay compliant. Stay away from the violations and sign up for MuniTrac.
