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The following explainer post can be a resource for local governments to explain rules about who can serve and what training they must complete.

Many local government boards, commissions and committees welcome everyday residents to serve, but there are often rules about who can serve and what training they must complete.

Who can serve on a local board?

In most communities, eligibility to serve on a board or committee starts with basic criteria such as:

  • Residency in the city, town, or district.

  • Meeting any age or voter‑eligibility requirements set in local law.

  • Appointment or election under the local charter, ordinance, or bylaws.

Some boards also reserve certain seats for people with specific expertise, for example:

  • A licensed architect serving on an Architectural Review Board.

  • Planners, engineers, or related professionals on a Planning or Zoning Board.

  • Members with finance, budgeting, or auditing experience on financial or budget committees.

Clerks and board coordinators are usually responsible for confirming that the right people are in the right seats and that any professional licenses or qualifications are documented.

Training and certification requirements

Rules for training and certification vary widely from one state, county, and municipality to another. In many communities, requirements may include:

  • State‑ or locally mandated training for certain board types (for example, housing, ethics, or open meeting law).

  • Profession‑specific requirements, such as maintaining an active architecture, engineering, or similar license for particular seats.

  • Local rules that require board members to attend an orientation or complete online modules within a set timeframe after appointment or election.

Even where no formal “certificate” is issued, board members may be expected to complete training so they can understand their role, follow the law, and make informed decisions on behalf of the community.

Ethics training for board members

Ethics expectations apply to nearly every public board or committee, whether members are elected, appointed, or volunteer. In many places, board and committee members must complete ethics training:

  • Before they take office, or

  • Within a specified period after appointment or election, and sometimes

  • On a recurring schedule (for example, every one or two years).

Ethics training typically addresses conflicts of interest, use of public resources, open government rules, and how to handle confidential or sensitive information. Clerks are often the ones keeping track of who has completed ethics training, who is due for renewal, and what records must be retained for public‑records requests, audits, or legal review.

Why tracking matters

For the public, qualifications and training are about trust:

  • Knowing that the people making decisions have the skills and knowledge they need.

  • Seeing that boards follow the rules set by state and local law.

For clerks and staff, tracking qualifications and training is also about workload and risk:

  • Making sure members meet all legal and policy requirements before they start voting.

  • Avoiding last‑minute scrambles when a member’s training or certification expires.

  • Being able to prove compliance if there is a complaint, audit, or legal challenge.

When information is scattered across spreadsheets, email threads, and paper folders, simple questions such as “Is everyone current on ethics training?” or “Does this seat still have a licensed professional?” become difficult and time‑consuming to answer.

How OnBoardGOV supports clarity

For communities using OnBoardGOV for board and committee management, clerks have built‑in tools to explain “who can serve” and what is required:

  • Each board has a description field that can clearly state the board’s purpose in plain language.

  • The same description can outline service requirements, such as residency, professional qualifications, or required training.

This gives the public a single, consistent explanation for each board, and gives staff one authoritative place to point people when questions arise.

What the Certification and Training tracker adds

The Certification and Training tracker (C&T) is an optional add‑on module to OnBoardGOV. You do not have to use C&T to use OnBoardGOV, but you do need OnBoardGOV in order to purchase and use the C&T module. When enabled, C&T helps clerks move from “we wrote down the rules” to “we can show who is compliant”:

  • Track required certifications, professional licenses, and specialized training for individual seats or entire boards.

  • Record completion and expiration dates for required courses, including state‑ or locally mandated training.

  • Track ethics training for board and committee members, including one‑time and recurring requirements.

  • Generate reports that show, at a glance, which members are current and where follow‑up is needed.

Keeping qualifications and training status in one place with board rosters, terms, and contact information, the Certification & Training tracking module makes it easier for clerks to answer questions from leadership, auditors, and the public.

An invitation to adapt this language

Local governments are welcome to adapt this explanation to reflect their own laws, policies, and practices. You might:

  • Use this post as a starting point for a “Who can serve on a board?” page on your website.

  • Customize the examples and requirements to match your charter, ordinances, and state mandates.

  • Use the document as a framework and make it your own.

If your office manages boards and committees, and you are looking for a clearer way to define and track qualifications, training, and ethics requirements, OnBoardGOV and the optional Certification and Training tracker can help centralize that work and make it easier to show that your boards are meeting the standards your community expects.