The legislative branch shall consist of a form of town meeting,
limited to those inhabitants who re elected to meet, deliberate, act
and vote in the exercise of the corporate powers of the town.
The representative town meeting membership shall consist of
three hundred and ninety members who shall all be registered voters
of the town and who shall be apportioned in precincts on the basis
of population with each precinct having, as near as possible, the
same number of the representative town meeting members as any other
precinct. At each annual town election the registered voters of each
precinct shall elect one third of the number of town meeting members
to which that precinct is entitled for the term of three years, and
shall at such election fill for the unexpired term or terms any vacancy
or vacancies then existing in the number of town meeting members in
their respective precincts.
At least once in every ten years the select board, assisted
by the board of registrars of voters, in accordance with the provisions
of section six of chapter fifty-four of the General Laws, shall divide
the territory of the town into not more than ten convenient voting
precincts each of which shall contain, as nearly as is possible, an
equal number of residents of the town but not more than four thousand
inhabitants.
The precincts shall be so established as to consist of compact
and contiguous territory, to be bounded as far as possible, by the
center line of known streets and ways or by other well defined limits.
Their boundaries shall be reviewed and, if need be, wholly or partly
revised by the districting board every ten years in accordance with
the federal census.
Nomination of candidates for town meeting members shall be made
by nomination papers signed by not less than twenty voters of the
precinct in which the candidate resides, and filed with the town clerk
at least thirty-five days before the election; provided, that any
town meeting member who has attended one-half, or more, of the town
meeting sessions (whether or not a quorum is present and whether or
not any business is actually conducted) held during the term of office
may become a candidate for re-election by giving written notice thereof
to the town clerk at least thirty days before the election. No nomination
papers shall be valid in respect to any candidate whose written acceptance
is not thereon or attached thereto when filed.
The registered voters in each precinct shall not sooner than ninety days after the establishment of precincts under this act at the next annual town election held thereafter, and at the first annual town election following any precinct revision where the number of precincts is changed, conformably to the laws relative to elections not inconsistent with this act, elect by ballot the number of registered voters in the precinct provided for in section
2-2, to be town meeting members of the town. The first third in order of votes received of members so elected shall serve three years, the second third in such order shall serve two years, and the remaining third in such order shall serve one year, from the day of the annual town meeting, or, in case such election is at a special meeting, from the next annual town meeting; in case of a tie vote affecting the division into thirds, as aforesaid, the members elected from the precinct shall by ballot determine the same; and thereafter, except as is otherwise provided herein.
Upon every revision of the precincts where the number of precincts
is changed, the terms of office of all town meeting members from every
precinct revised shall cease upon the election of their successors.
The town clerk shall, after every election of town meeting members,
forthwith notify each member by mail of his election.
The town meeting members as such shall receive no compensation.
[Amended by Town Meeting 6-3-2014, approved by voters 4-7-2015]
The Town Moderator shall preside over every Town Meeting, except
in the case of a conflict of interest or as otherwise provided by
law. If the Town Moderator is absent or is unable to preside over
a Town Meeting or a portion thereof, whether due to a conflict of
interest or otherwise, then the Town Clerk shall preside until and
unless the Town Meeting appoints a moderator pro tempore for that
Town Meeting.
The 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, by this charter, by by-law or by other town meeting
vote. To assist in the counting of votes, the moderator shall, at
each town meeting, appoint at least two persons, not representative
town meeting members, to act as tellers.
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Rulings made by the town moderator may be appealed to the representative
town meeting by a motion so to do which shall be put to the meeting
by the moderator in the form: Shall the ruling of the moderator be
reversed? A majority vote shall be required to reverse the ruling
of the moderator.
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[Amended by Town Meeting 6-3-2014, approved by voters 4-7-2015]
The Town Meeting shall meet in regular session twice in each
calendar year. The first Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the
first Tuesday in the month of June, and shall be primarily concerned
with the determination of matters involving the expenditure of Town
funds, including, but not limited to, the adoption of an Annual Operating
Budget for all Town agencies. The second Annual Town Meeting shall
be held on the third Tuesday in October.
Special town meetings may be held at the call of the select
board at such times as it may deem Necessary 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 two hundred or more
voters, in the manner provided by general law.
Except as otherwise provided by law or this charter, all powers
of the town shall be vested in the town meeting. The town meeting
shall provide for the exercise of all powers of the town and for the
performance of all duties and obligations imposed upon the town.