The select board shall divide the town into
convenient voting precincts so established as to consist of as nearly
equal number of inhabitants as possible, in compact and contiguous
territory, bounded insofar as possible by the center line of known
streets and ways or by other well-defined limits.
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The boundaries of the precincts shall be reviewed
and wholly or partially revised by the select board (a) at least once
every ten years, to coincide with the publication of new state decennial
census statistics, (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 ten percent or more from
the total number of inhabitants of the town divided by the number
of precincts.
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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.
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The number of voting precincts shall be determined
such that each precinct shall average not less than two thousand five
hundred residents and not more than four thousand residents.
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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 part to be town meeting members. The first third in order
of votes received shall serve for three years; the second third of
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 therein, 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 each
precinct is entitled and shall fill for the unexpired terms any such
vacancies then existing.
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In the event of a tie vote for the office of
town meeting member the town clerk shall, within seven days following
the election, notify elected town meeting members within that precinct
of the vacancy Under the supervision of the town clerk, any such tie
shall be broken by ballots cast by the elected town meeting members
participating.
[Amended 10-18-2021 STM by Art. 19, ratified 4-5-2022] |
Any town meeting member who shall fail to attend
more than one-half of the sessions of the town meeting held in a calendar
year, may appeal the declaration of vacancy by requesting a hearing
on removal. A request for hearing shall be in writing and shall be
filed with the Town Clerk on or before January 15th of the following
calendar year. A hearing shall be held before a committee consisting
of the Town Clerk, Town Moderator and Town Counsel to be held no later
than January 25th of said year. Upon the showing of good cause by
the member, the committee may excuse one or more absences and may
rescind the Declaration of Vacancy provided the Town meeting member
has attended at least one-half of the unexcused sessions of the Town
Meeting during said calendar year.
[Added 4-26-1993 ATM by Art. 11, ratified 4-5-1994] |
The Fall Annual Town Meeting shall be held in
October on a date fixed by by-law and shall be deemed to have all
the powers of an Annual Town Meeting except that it shall not be construed
to include the time for the election of town officers and other matters
to be determined by ballot. The select board shall insert in the warrants
for both sessions of the Annual Town meeting all subjects the insertion
of which shall be requested of them in writing by ten or more registered
voters of the Town, in the manner provided under the laws of the Commonwealth.
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The select board may, in any manner provided
under the 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.
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