The legislative body of the town shall be a representative town meeting consisting of one hundred ninety-two members from eight precincts who shall be elected to meet, deliberate, act and vote in the exercise of the corporate powers of the town.
Each precinct shall be represented in the town meeting by twenty-four town meeting members, so elected that the term of office of one-third of the members shall expire each year.
The select board shall divide the town into eight convenient voting precincts so established as to consist of as nearly an equal number of inhabitants as possible, in compact and contiguous territory, bounded insofar as possible by the center line of known streets or ways or by other well defined limits.
The boundaries of the precincts shall be reviewed and wholly or partly revised by the select board (a) at least once in every ten years, (b) whenever it is directed to do so by vote of the town meeting, and (c) whenever it is apparent from the street list, census data or other official information that the number of inhabitants in any one precinct varies by five percent or more from the total number of inhabitants of the town divided by eight, the number of precincts.
The select board shall, within twenty days after any revision of precincts, but not later than January twentieth of the succeeding year, file a report of its doings with the town clerk and the assessors with a map or maps or description of the precincts and the names and addresses of the voters therein. The board shall cause to be posted in at least one public place in each precinct a map or description of that precinct with the names and addresses of the voters therein. Whenever the precincts are revised, the town clerk shall forthwith give written notice thereof to the state secretary, stating the number and designation of such precincts.
(a) 
Eligibility.
Any voter shall be eligible to be a candidate, to be elected, and to serve as a town meeting member.
(b) 
Nomination Procedures.
Nomination of candidates for town meeting member shall be made by nomination papers signed by not less than ten voters of the precinct in which the candidate resides and from which he seeks election. The said nomination papers shall be filed with the town clerk not later than the thirty-fifth day preceding the date of the town election. Any elected town meeting member may become a candidate for re-election by filing written notice thereof with the town clerk not later than twenty-one days before the last day and hour for filing nomination papers.1 The written acceptance of the candidate shall be on or attached to the nomination papers.[1] The written acceptance of the candidate shall be on or attached to the nomination papers when filed in order for it to be valid.
[1]
Art 5 1990 Fall Town Meeting substituted “not later than the thirty-fifth day” for “at least twenty-eight days” and substituted “not later than twenty-one days” for “at least fourteen days”.
The voters in every precinct shall, at the first annual town election held following any precinct revision that affects them, elect by ballot the number of voters of the precinct prescribed in this article to be town meeting members. The first third in order of votes received shall serve for three years; the second third in such order shall serve for two years; and the remaining third in such order shall serve for one year from the date of the annual town election. In case of a tie vote affecting the division into thirds, the members elected from the precinct shall determine the same by ballot. Thereafter, except as otherwise provided herein, at each annual election the voters of each precinct shall, in like manner, elect for three-year terms one-third of the number of town meeting members to which that precinct is entitled, and shall fill for the unexpired terms any vacancies then existing.
In the event of a tie vote for the office of town meeting member the town clerk shall, within seven days following the election, call all of the town meeting members of that precinct together at a convenient place. Under the supervision of the town clerk, any such tie shall then and there be broken by ballots cast by the elected town meeting members present.
(a) 
Resignation.
A town meeting member may resign by filing a written resignation with the town clerk; such resignation shall take effect upon the date of such filing unless a date certain is specified therein when it shall take effect.
(b) 
Removal from Town or Precinct.
A town meeting member who removes from the town shall forthwith cease to be a town meeting member. A town meeting member who removes from one precinct to another, or who is so removed by a revision of precinct lines, may continue to serve as a town meeting member from the precinct from which he was elected until the next annual town election at which the remainder of his term, if any, shall be filled by ballot. Any person so removed from office may be elected at the same election as a town meeting member from the precinct to which he has removed.
(c) 
Forfeiture of Office.
If any person elected as a town meeting member shall fail to take his oath of office within thirty days following his election, or shall fail to attend one-half or more of the total number of sessions of the town meeting held in any twelve-month period, his place may be declared vacant by a two-thirds vote of the town meeting. No such vote to declare a seat vacant shall be valid unless a letter stating an intention to do so has been mailed to the last known address of the person at least seven days preceding the date the vote is to be taken.
(d) 
Filling of Vacancies.
Any vacancy in the full number of town meeting members from any precinct shall be filled until the next annual town election by the remaining town meeting members from the precinct, from among the voters thereof. The balance of the unexpired term, if any, shall be filled at such annual town election.
A moderator, chosen in accordance with the provisions of section 3-7, shall preside at all sessions of the town meeting. The moderator shall regulate the proceedings of all town meetings, decide all questions of order and make public declaration of all votes. He may, in open meeting, administer the oath of office to any town officer. He shall perform such other functions as may be provided by the charter, by bylaw or by other town meeting vote.
The town clerk or his designee shall serve as the clerk of the town meeting. The clerk shall give notice of all meetings to the members and to the public, keep the journal of their proceedings and perform such other functions as may be provided by the charter, by bylaw or by other town meeting vote.
All powers of the town shall be vested in the representative town meeting, except as otherwise provided by law or the charter. 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.
(a) 
Representatives of Town Agencies.
A designated representative of each town agency shall attend all sessions of the town meeting for the purpose of providing the town meeting with information pertinent to warrant articles. If any such person is deterred by illness or other reasonable cause, he shall designate a deputy to attend in his place. If any such person is not a resident he shall, notwithstanding, be entitled to speak in order to provide the town meeting with information on matters pertinent to his responsibilities. All representatives of town agencies, when attending sessions of the town meeting, shall have all of the rights and privileges of town meeting members on matters pertinent to their responsibilities, except the right to vote.
(b) 
Residents.
Any resident not a town meeting member may, not withstanding, attend sessions of the town meeting and, subject to such rules as may from time to time be adopted, participate in the proceedings, but may not vote.
(a) 
Initiation.
Except for procedural matters, all subjects to be acted upon by the town meeting shall be placed on warrants issued by the select board. The select board shall place on such warrants all subjects requested in writing by (1) any elected town officer or member of an elected multiple-member body; (2) any appointed multiple-member body acting by a majority of its members; (3) any ten or more voters; or (4) any other person or agency as may be authorized by bylaw or otherwise. All subjects submitted to the select board under this section shall be placed on a warrant for the next town meeting, regular or special, that shall occur forty-five or more days following the date of submission.[1]
[1]
Art 2 1978 Fall Town Meeting substituted “forty-five” for “thirty” days.
(b) 
Publication.
Forthwith, following receipt by the select board of any subject for a town meeting warrant article, initiated by petition or by one or more members of the select board, a copy of such subject shall be posted on the town bulletin board and otherwise distributed as may be provided by bylaw. Additional copies shall be kept available for distribution by the town clerk.
(a) 
Time of Meeting.
The town meeting shall meet at least twice in each calendar year. The first such meeting shall be held during the first six calendar months, at a time fixed by bylaw, and shall be primarily concerned with the determination of matters that have a fiscal effect on the town, including but not limited to the adoption of an annual operating budget for all town agencies. The second such meeting, the powers of which shall be deemed those of an annual town meeting, shall be held during the last four calendar months, at a time fixed by bylaw. In addition to the two meetings required by this section the select board may, in any manner provided under the general laws of the Commonwealth or the charter, for the purpose of acting upon the legislative business of the town in an orderly and expeditious manner, call the town meeting into session at other times by the issuance of warrants therefor.
(b) 
Quorum.
One hundred town meeting members shall constitute a quorum, but a smaller number may adjourn from time to time.
(a) 
Effective Date of Final Votes.
No final vote of a town meeting on any warrant article, except a vote to adjourn or dissolve, or votes appropriating money for the payment of notes or bonds of the town and interest thereon becoming due within the then current fiscal year, or votes for the temporary borrowing of money in anticipation of revenue, or a vote declared by preamble by a two-thirds vote of the town meeting to be an emergency measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the peace, health, safety or convenience of the town, shall be operative until after the expiration of five days from the dissolution of the town meeting. If a petition is not filed within the said five days, the votes of the town meeting shall then become operative.
(b) 
Non-Final Votes.
Any article disposed of by a vote to lay on the table or to postpone indefinitely, or by other dilatory vote, shall be deemed to have been rejected in the form in which it was presented or amended.
(c) 
Referendum Petition.
If, within said five days, a petition signed by not less than three percent of the voters containing their names and addresses, is filed with the select board requesting that any question, not yet operative as defined in (a), be submitted to the voters, then the operation of such vote shall be further suspended pending its determination as provided below. The select board shall, within ten days after the filing of such petition, call a special election that shall be held within thirty-five days after issuing the call, for the purpose of presenting to the voters any such question. If, however, a regular or special town election is to be held not more than sixty days following the date the petition is filed, the select board may provide that any such question be presented to the voters at that same election.[1]
[1]
Art 6 1990 Fall Town Meeting substituted “thirty-five” for “fourteen”, inserted the word “town” following the word “special”, and substituted “sixty” for “thirty” days.
(d) 
Referendum Election.
All votes upon any question so submitted shall be taken by ballot, and the conduct of such election shall be in accordance with the provisions of law relating to elections, unless otherwise provided in this section. Any question so submitted shall be determined by a majority vote of the voters voting thereon, but no action of the town meeting shall be reversed unless at least twenty percent of the voters vote on the question.
(e) 
Format of Questions.
Any question so submitted shall be stated on the ballot in substantially the same language and form in which it was stated when presented by the moderator to the town meeting, as appears in the records of the clerk of the meeting.