The legislative powers of the town shall be exercised by a town
meeting open to all voters.
The town moderator, elected as provided in section 3-8, shall preside at all sessions of the town meeting. Annually, at the first session of the spring town meeting, the town moderator shall appoint a deputy moderator to serve as acting moderator in the event of the temporary absence or disability of the town moderator. The appointment of a deputy moderator shall be subject to ratification by the town meeting. The deputy moderator shall, when presiding at town meeting sessions, have all of the powers of the town moderator, but shall have no other powers or duties of the town moderator.
The town moderator, at town meetings, shall regulate the proceedings,
decide all questions of order, make public declaration of all votes
and may exercise such additional powers and duties as may be authorized
by general law, this charter, by-law or other vote of the town meeting.
(a)
In General - Subject to the provisions of this charter and such by-laws
or other town meeting votes regarding committees as may be provided,
the town moderator shall appoint for fixed terms the members of such
committees of the town meeting, special or standing, as may from time
to time be established. In addition to such specific powers, duties
and responsibilities as may be provided to a town meeting committee
by the by-law or vote establishing it, each such committee, when acting
within the scope of its authority, shall have a right to examine the
pertinent records of any town agency and to consult, at reasonable
times, with any town officer, employee or agent.
(b)
Finance Committee - Composition, Term of Office - There shall be
a finance committee that shall consist of 7 members appointed for
terms of 3 years each so arranged that the terms of as nearly an equal
number of members as is possible shall expire each year. The members
shall be residents registered to vote in the town. The members shall
be appointed by a committee consisting of: 1 member of the select
board chosen by the select board; 1 member of the school committee
chosen by the school committee; and the town moderator.
[Amended 8-20-2020 by Ch. 167, Acts of 2020]
(c)
Finance Committee Powers and Duties-
[Amended 8-20-2020 by Ch. 167, Acts of 2020]
(1)
The finance committee shall have the primary responsibility
to report to town meeting on the proposed budget of the town manager
and all warrant articles having a fiscal impact on the town, as more
particularly detailed in the charter, town by-laws, and the laws of
the commonwealth; before preparing its final recommendations, the
finance committee shall hold 1 or more public hearings to permit public
discussion on the subject matter of the articles contained in the
warrant.
(2)
After the town manager has prepared the budget, the finance
committee shall consult with the town manager and recommend any modifications
it deems appropriate before the budget is filed with the town clerk.
(3)
The finance committee shall have all other powers conferred
on finance committees by the General Laws.
The annual town meeting shall be held during April or May, on
a date fixed by by-law.
[Amended 8-20-2020 by Ch. 167, Acts of 2020]
Special town meetings may be held at the call of the select
board at such times as such board may deem necessary or desirable
in order to transact the legislative business of the town in an orderly
manner. Special town meetings may also be held on the petition of
200 or more voters, in the manner provided by the general laws. The
town clerk shall make forms for the calling of a special town meeting
available to voters, upon request.
[Amended 8-20-2020 by Ch. 167, Acts of 2020]
Every town meeting shall be called by a warrant issued by the
select board which shall state the time and place at which the meeting
is to convene and, by separate articles, the subject matter to be
acted upon. The publication of the warrant for every town meeting
shall be in accordance with the town by-laws.
[Amended 8-20-2020 by Ch. 167, Acts of 2020]
(a)
Initiation - The select board shall receive at any time all petitions
addressed to it and which request the submission of any matter to
the town meeting and which are filed by any 10 voters for the annual
town meeting and any 100 voters for a special town meeting.
(b)
Referral - Immediately following receipt of any proposed warrant
article, the select board shall cause a written or electronic copy
of the proposal to be provided to the chair of the finance committee
and a copy to be posted on the town bulletin board and shall cause
such other distribution to be made of each such proposal as may be
required by law or by-law.
(c)
Inclusion on Warrant - The select board shall close the warrant for
a regular town meeting on the date established by by-law for such
closing preceding the date on which the town meeting is scheduled,
by by-law, to convene. The select board shall not include in any such
warrant the subject matter of any petition which has been received
by it after said day nor shall any matter originating with it be included
after said date.
Whenever a special town meeting is to be called, the select board shall give notice by publication in a local newspaper of its intention and shall notify all town agencies of its intention to do so. The select board shall include in the warrant for such special town meeting the subject matter of all petitions which are received at its office on or before 5 o'clock in the afternoon of the fifth business day following such publication which are in conformity with the provisions of section 2-7 (a) and which specifically request that the subject matter be included on the warrant for said special town meeting.
Every town officer, the chairperson of each multiple member
body, the head of each department and the head of each division within
the departments shall attend all sessions of the town meeting at which
warrant articles pertinent to their agency are or may be acted upon
for the purpose of providing the town meeting with information pertinent
to all such matters as appear in the warrant for the town meeting.
In the event any town officer, chairperson of a multiple member
body, department head or division head is to be absent due to illness
or other reasonable cause, such person shall designate a deputy to
attend to represent the office, multiple member body, department or
division. If any person designated to attend the town meeting under
this section is not a voter, such person shall, notwithstanding, have
a right to address the meeting for the purpose of compliance with
this section unless a majority of the town meeting shall vote to deny
such person this privilege.
The town clerk shall serve as clerk of the town meeting, give
notice of all adjourned sessions thereof, record its proceedings and
perform such additional duties in connection therewith as may be provided
by the general laws, this charter, by-law or other town meeting vote.
The town meeting may, by by-law, establish and from time to
time amend, revise or repeal rules to govern the conduct of all town
meetings.
All powers of the town, except as otherwise provided by law
or this charter, shall be vested in the town meeting. The town meeting
shall provide for the exercise of all of the powers of the town and
for the performance of all duties and obligations imposed upon the
town for which no other provision is made in this charter or by by-law.
