Except as otherwise provided by the provisions of this Charter,
the legislative authority of the Town of Bar Harbor shall continue
to be vested in the inhabitants of the Town of Bar Harbor acting by
means of Town Meetings. The Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the
first Tuesday in June and the second Tuesday in June.
A. Open
Town Meeting. Such articles of the warrant as the Town Council may
choose shall be acted upon on the first Tuesday of June.
B. Secret
ballot. All articles of the warrant with respect to the election of
officials, such other articles as the Town Council shall choose and
all articles required by law to be on the printed ballot shall be
acted upon on the second Tuesday in June.
C. State
law controlling; exceptions. The provisions of the Revised Statutes
of the State of Maine, as amended, shall govern the manner in which
all Annual and Special Town Meetings shall be called and conducted,
except that:
(1) Contents of ballots. In addition to the provisions of the Revised
Statutes of the State of Maine, the ballots for all Town Meetings
shall include:
(a) For each ballot article except election of officeholders, the recommendation
of the Warrant Committee, including the number of Committee members
and the number of Committee members voting for and against the recommendation;
(b) For each Land Use Ordinance amendment article, the recommendation
of the Planning Board, including the number of Board members and the
number of Board members voting for and against the recommendation;
(c) For each ballot article affecting school issues, the recommendation
of the School Committee, including the number of Committee members
and the number of Committee members voting for and against the recommendation;
(d) For each ballot article except Land Use Ordinance amendments and
election of officeholders, the recommendation of the Town Council,
including the number of Councilors and the number of Councilors voting
for and against the recommendation.
(2) Warrant. The Town Meeting warrant shall be prepared as required by
law and be posted in the Municipal Building. Further, the warrant
shall include:
(a) A brief statement outlining the intent of the proposed article;
(b) For each ballot article except election of officeholders, the recommendation
of the Warrant Committee, including the number of Committee members
and the number of Committee members voting for and against the recommendation;
(c) For each Land Use Ordinance amendment article, the recommendation
of the Planning Board, including the number of Board members and the
number of Board members voting for and against the recommendation;
(d) For each ballot article affecting school issues, the recommendation
of the School Committee, including the number of Committee members
and the number of Committee members voting for and against the recommendation;
(e) For each ballot article except Land Use Ordinance amendments and
election of officeholders, the recommendation of the Town Council,
including the number of Councilors and the number of Councilors voting
for and against the recommendation;
(f) Such other explanatory material as, in the opinion of the Town Council,
would help the voters better understand the issues at hand.
(3) Method
of voting at Open Town Meeting. Except where required otherwise by
state law the Town may use any means of manual or electronic voting
approved by the Town Council to ensure accuracy, efficiency, integrity,
security, transparency, and voter anonymity.
[Added 11-3-2020]