[Amended 1974; 1979]
The Annual Meeting for the election of officers and determination
of such matters as by law are required or permitted to be upon the
ballot shall be held on the second Tuesday in May. The polls shall
be open for at least 12 hours. The opening and closing time of the
polls shall be established each year by the Select Board.
[Amended 1969; 1974; 1979; 4-25-2023 ATM by Art. 22]
All other business shall be considered at a deliberative session
of the Annual Meeting to be held on such date in last half of April
or first week in May and at such place as shall be specified in a
separate warrant therefor.
[Amended 1980; 2010; 4-25-2023 ATM by Art. 22]
Notice of every Annual Town Meeting shall be given not less
than seven days before the day appointed for said meeting, and notice
of any Special Town Meeting shall be given at least 14 days before
the day appointed for said meeting. Notice shall be given by posting
an attested copy of the warrant calling the meeting in at least five
public places in the Town. The return of the officer, stating the
manner in which notice was given, shall be endorsed upon the warrant.
[Amended 2012]
At least 21 days before the Annual Meeting referred to in §
70-2 of this article, the Annual Town Report shall be posted to the Town's website, and hard copies shall be available to those residents who request them and copies of the Annual Town Report will also be available for inspection and copying at the Town Hall, provided that at least 30 days before the Annual Meeting, a postcard shall be distributed to each household in the Town in which a voter eligible to vote at the Annual Town Meeting resides advising that the Annual Town Report will be posted and that copies will be available at the Town Hall. Provision will be made to distribute hard copies to those households which request it and who are unable to get to Town Hall during its open hours.
Only registered voters may vote at Town Meetings. The number
of registered voters necessary to constitute a quorum at any Town
Meeting, except at a meeting devoted exclusively to the election of
town officials, shall be 100, but a smaller number may adjourn to
a stated date, time and place.
[Amended 1997]
Whenever a two-thirds vote is required by statute, such vote
may be declared as such by the Moderator without a count and be recorded
as such by the Clerk upon such declaration; provided, however, that
seven or more voters may challenge such declaration, at which time
a count shall be taken.
All articles in the warrant shall be taken in the order of their
arrangement unless otherwise decided by a two-thirds vote of the voters
present and voting.
In case of motions to amend or to fill blanks, the one expressing
the largest sum or the longest time shall be put first, and an affirmative
vote thereon shall be a negative vote on any smaller sum or shorter
time.
When a report of a committee is placed in the hands of the Moderator,
it shall be deemed to be properly before the meeting for its action
thereon, and a vote to accept the same shall discharge the committee,
but shall not be equivalent to a vote to carry out the recommendations
without a special vote to adopt.
[Amended 1972]
No vote shall be reconsidered at the same Town Meeting unless
it be ordered by two-thirds of the voters present and voting thereon
at the same session.
[Amended 1972; 4-25-2023 ATM by Art. 22]
When a unanimous vote is not obtained on any substantive motion
requiring a vote greater than a majority for passage, the said motion
shall be voted upon at the same session by written ballot, using the
same checklist, if 50 voters so request.
[Amended 1990]
All proposed expenditures for equipment, the estimated cost
of which exceeds $4,000 shall be separately identified in the appropriate
budget line item. The appropriation to meet an obligation under a
lease or a lease with an option to purchase for a total payment in
excess of $4,000 shall be separately identified in the budget under
the appropriate budget line item or warrant article.