(June 16, 2026) – The Ayer Select Board voted this week to authorize the Town of Ayer to enter into an intermunicipal agreement with the Nashoba Associated Boards of Health to provide financial and payroll support services.
The Town Manager presented this to the Select Board and said the town would receive $20,000 in exchange for providing the services for a year. He said the town treasurer, town accountant and benefits and payroll manager would work on this. In response to a Select Board member’s question, he said each employee will receive a small stipend from this and the town will receive the rest of the funds.
The Nashoba Associated Boards of Health is located on Central Avenue in Ayer and provides public health services to local member communities. The organization recently approached the town because it needed help with financial services amid retirements. There was a representative from the Nashoba Boards of Health at the Select Board meeting.
The Nashoba Associated Boards of Health is scheduled to meet on Thursday, June 25th and this topic is on the meeting agenda, which is posted on the notice board outside Ayer Town Hall. The agenda states “Inter Municipal Agreement consideration & approval.”
The Town Manager stated the Nashoba Associated Boards of Health would retain its authority and that this agreement will be reviewed in a year. He said the Town of Ayer provides similar services to the Devens Enterprise Commission. There was no mention of how many employees the Nashoba Associated Boards of Health has.
The Nashoba Associated Boards of Health was established in 1931 under a grant from the Commonwealth Fund of New York and the guidance of the Harvard University of Public Health, according to its website. The agency provides public health services to member communities in North Central Massachusetts and the Nashoba Valley, in partnership with each community’s local Board of Health.
In addition to Ayer, the Nashoba Associated Boards of Health serves Ashburnham, Ashby, Berlin, Bolton, Boxborough, Dunstable, Groton, Harvard, Lancaster, Lunenburg, Pepperell, Shirley, Stow, Townsend, and the community of Devens.