(a)Â
The town meeting shall have the powers conferred upon
it by this charter.
(b)Â
The annual town meeting shall be held on the second
Monday in May.
(c)Â
Notice of any town meeting shall be given by warning
in the manner provided by the general statutes.
(d)Â
Special town meetings shall be called by the Board
of Selectmen in the manner provided by the general statutes whenever
they deem it necessary and shall be called by them on application
of not less than 50 persons qualified to vote in a town meeting, such
meeting to be held within 21 days after such application is received
by the Selectmen. The matters which the applicants for a special town
meeting desire to be acted upon, if proper subjects for town meeting
action, shall be put in proper form for the warning of a meeting and
for a town meeting resolution with the assistance of town counsel,
and those matters shall come first in the warning of the meeting.
The Board of Selectmen may in their discretion add other matters to
the warning of the meeting.
(a)Â
A moderator shall be elected at town meetings with
the powers and duties of moderators prescribed by the general statutes.
The town clerk or, in his or her absence, the first selectman, shall
open the meeting for the election of a moderator. The town clerk shall
serve as clerk. In the absence of the Town Clerk, the moderator shall
appoint a clerk.
(b)Â
Registered voters of the town and other persons qualified
by the general statutes may vote at town meetings. Town meeting action
shall be by majority vote of those present and voting.
(c)Â
A town meeting may by resolution duly warned adopt
and alter procedures for the orderly and efficient conduct of town
meetings including provision for secret votes.
(d)Â
If a town meeting votes to establish a committee to
inquire and report to a subsequent town meeting, the moderator shall
choose the members of the committee in accordance with directions
of the meeting.
(a)Â
The recommended annual budget shall be submitted by
the Board of Finance to the annual budget meeting, which meeting shall
be held on the first Tuesday in April, and adoption of the budget
shall be by a yes or no vote of the annual budget meeting on the voting
machines at a date not less than 7 nor more than 14 days thereafter
as determined by the Board of Selectmen. Notice of the date, time
and place of such machine vote shall be incorporated into the notice
of the annual budget meeting.
[Amended referendum 11-8-2005, effective 12-8-2005]
(b)Â
This recommended annual budget shall include both
the segment that deals with municipal activities and the segment that
deals with the operation and maintenance of the public school system
- the latter to be considered as a single appropriation item in accordance
with Section 10-222 of the Connecticut general statutes. Insofar as
is feasible, any amounts and/or objects of expenditures that are mandated
by law or otherwise nondiscretionary in nature should be so designated.
(c)Â
No recommended appropriation may be increased by the
meeting, nor may any appropriation be made for a purpose not recommended
by the Board of Finance.
[Amended referendum 11-8-2005, effective 12-8-2005]
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Any proposed appropriation may, however, be
reduced by the meeting to a sum less than that recommended by the
Board of Finance - provided that at least 300 eligible voters are
in attendance and voting upon a motion to reduce, and at least 200
vote in favor of said motion.
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A special appropriation or transfer of unexpended balances, and a payment into or appropriation from the reserve fund for capital and non-recurring expenditures, requiring town meeting approval in accordance with Section 6-6 of this charter, may be decreased by the town meeting but may not be increased. Town meeting may make no special appropriation or transfer of funds not recommended by the Board of Finance.
[Amended referendum 11-8-2005, effective 12-8-2005]
Authorization of the issuance of bonds or notes
(except notes in anticipation of taxes to be paid within the fiscal
year in which the notes are issued) shall require approval by vote
of town meeting.
The authorization of the issuance of bonds to finance an individual appropriation in excess of $1,000,000 shall be submitted to the town meeting, and adoption of such authorization and related appropriation shall be by a yes or no vote of the town meeting on the voting machines at a date not less than 7 nor more than 14 days thereafter as determined by the Board of Selectmen. Notice of the date, time and place of such machine vote shall be incorporated into the notice of the town meeting. Nothing in this section shall limit, expand or otherwise affect the right of the voters to petition for a machine vote, as provided by Section 7-7 of the Connecticut general statutes or by any successor statute.
Town meeting shall have the power to repeal
or amend ordinances in accordance with the procedures set forth in
Section 3-4(a)(8) of this charter.
The sale or other disposition of real estate
of the town used or reserved for town purposes, or the abandonment
or discontinuation of town roads, and the purchase or other acquisition
of real estate for town purposes shall require approval of town meeting.
The sale of real estate not used or reserved for town purposes shall
be carried out in accordance with an ordinance.
The town meeting may not initiate proceedings
to acquire real estate by eminent domain without the prior recommendation
of the Board of Finance in favor of such acquisition.
