The town meeting shall have authority for final approval of those actions of the town hereinafter enumerated, and when considering such actions said meeting shall be deemed to be the legislative body of the town. All persons deemed to be eligible to vote in town meetings as prescribed in Section 7-6 of the General Statutes, as amended, shall be eligible to vote in town meetings called pursuant to Section 702, 703 and 704 of this chapter and shall be eligible to vote in special referenda called pursuant to Section 705 of this chapter.
The annual town budget meeting for the consideration of the budget shall be convened in accordance with the provisions of Section 1106 of this Charter and shall be held on the second Tuesday of May at such hour and at such place as the Board of Selectmen shall determine, and no other town agency, board, or commission shall meet on said day. The Board of Selectmen shall request the presence at such meeting of a representative of each board, agency, or commission submitting a budget request. If the vote on the annual town budget is adjourned to a referendum, all further votes of the annual town budget shall be by referendum to be held two weeks after the town meeting is adjourned and every other week thereafter until final approval is given. [Amended 11-5-2002; 11-6-2007; 11-6-2018]
Special town meetings shall be called by the Board of Selectmen for consideration of the following actions:
(a) 
The issuance of bonds and all other forms of financing, the term of which is in excess of one (1) year;
(b) 
Any appropriation supplemental to those provided in the annual budget which increases total supplemental appropriations in the then current fiscal year to an aggregate amount in excess of one-half (1/2) of one (1) percent of the total annual budget;
(c) 
Real estate purchases by the town for a price in excess of forty thousand dollars ($40,000);
(d) 
Sale of any town owned real property in excess of forty thousand dollars ($40,000);
(e) 
The creation, consolidation or abolition of any permanent board, commission, department, or agency not otherwise provided for in this Charter;
(f) 
Real estate leases and/or lease options to which the town is a party which involve a term in excess of one (1) year;
(g) 
Proposals for municipal improvements disapproved by the town planning commission pursuant to the provisions of Section 8-24 of the General Statutes, as amended;
(h) 
Such other matters or proposals as may be required by the provisions of this Charter, or as the Board of Selectmen, in their discretion, shall deem to be of sufficient importance to be submitted to a special town meeting, including recommendations by the Board of Selectmen for the adoption or repeal of any ordinances;
(i) 
Any appropriation from the fund authorized for capital and non-recurring expenses as set forth in Section 1105 of this Charter not included in the annual town budget;
(j) 
Purchases that exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000) require a vote by referendum. [Amended 11-6-2007]
The electors of the town shall have the power to (1) propose ordinances; (2) propose the repeal of existing ordinances, and/or; (3) propose town meeting actions on those matters enumerated in Section 703 of this chapter; all in the following manner:
(a) 
A petition may be filed by any elector of the town with the Town Clerk and except as otherwise provided herein, such petition shall conform to the requirements of Sections 7-9 and 7-9a of the General Statutes, as amended;
(b) 
Said petition shall contain the full text of the proposal and/or ordinance and shall be signed in ink or indelible pencil by qualified electors of the town equal in number to at least five (5) percent of the total electors of the town as determined from the latest official lists of the Registrars of Voters;
(c) 
Said petition shall be accompanied by affidavits signed and sworn to by each circulator as provided in said Section 7-9;
(d) 
The Town Clerk shall within ten (10) days after receipt of the last page of said petition, determine whether the petition and affidavits are sufficient as prescribed by law and if so, certify said petition to the Board of Selectmen;
(e) 
Within thirty (30) days of receipt of said petition, so certified, the Board of Selectmen shall hold a public hearing thereon in accordance with Section 605 of this Charter;
(f) 
Within thirty (30) days of said public hearing the Board of Selectmen shall call a special town meeting to take action on said petition;
(g) 
At said special town meeting a vote of majority of those electors voting thereat shall be necessary to approve such petition.
All actions, including a negative action, of any town meeting shall be subject to overrule by a special town referendum in the following manner:
(a) 
If, within ten (10) days after such action of the town meeting, a petition conforming to the requirements of Section 7-9 and 7-9a of the General Statutes, as amended, and signed in ink or indelible pencil by qualified electors of the town equal in number to at least five (5) percent of the total electors of the town as determined from the latest official lists of the Registrars of Voters, is filed with the Town Clerk requesting its reference to the town voters at a special referendum, the effective date of such action, if an affirmative action, shall be suspended;
(b) 
Said petition shall be accompanied by affidavits signed and sworn to by each circulator as provided in said Section 7-9;
(c) 
The Town Clerk shall within ten (10) days after receipt of the last page of said petition determine whether the petition and affidavits are sufficient as prescribed by law and if so, certify said petition to the Board of Selectmen;
(d) 
Within fifteen (15) days of receipt of said petition, so certified, the Board of Selectmen shall fix the time and place of said special referendum which shall be held not less than twenty (20) nor more than forty-five (45) days after the certification of said petition and notice thereof shall be given at least five (5) days in advance by publication in a newspaper having general circulation in the town and by posting a notice in a public place. [Amended 11-6-2018]
Any action so referred shall take effect upon the conclusion of such referendum unless a majority of those persons voting thereon, such majority being equal to at least fifteen (15) percent of the qualified electors of the town, as determined from the latest official lists of the Registrars of Voters, shall have voted in favor of overruling such action. To the extent permitted by law, the aforementioned provisions are intended to supersede the applicable portions of Section 7-7 of the General Statutes, as amended.
All town meetings shall be called in accordance with Section 7-3 of the General Statutes, as amended, by resolution of the Board of Selectmen fixing the time and place of said meeting, notice of which shall be given at least five (5) days in advance by publication in a newspaper, having general circulation in said town, and by posting a notice in a public place. All town meetings shall be called to order by the First Selectman or his or her representative. A Moderator shall be elected and all business shall be conducted in the manner now or hereafter provided by Chapter 90 of the General Statutes, as amended, except as otherwise provided in this Charter. The Town Clerk shall serve as clerk of all town meetings but in his or her absence an Acting Town Clerk may be designated by the Moderator. Any town meeting may be recessed from time to time as the interests of the town may require and the Moderator may entertain a motion to recess such meeting. Town Meeting may be adjourned to a referendum as provided by section 7-7 of the General Statutes, as amended, if previously warned.