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Understanding Town Meeting
What is Town Meeting and How do You Participate
How to Place an Article on the Town Meeting Warrant
How to Place an Article on the Special Town Meeting Warrant
By-law and State Statute Constraints on Town Meeting
Budget Terms Used at Town Meeting
Moderator Robert T. Duby
Town Meeting participation demands a
commitment of time, energy, effort,
imagination, a sense of humor, intelligence, a dose of common sense, fair play,
and a deep appreciation of self-government - rare commodities, perhaps, but if
they can't be found at Town Meeting, where are we to look?
We have attempted to address commonly asked questions and provide helpful
background information.
TOWN MEETING PROCEDURES
How to place an article on the Town Meeting Warrant
How to place an article on a Special Town Meeting Warrant
Entering Town Meeting
How to move a private Warrant Article
How to be recognized to speak
How to make a motion and amend an article
BYLAW CONSTRAINTS ON TOWN MEETING
STATUTORY CONSTRAINTS ON TOWN MEETING
WHO'S WHO AT TOWN MEETING
BUDGET TERMS USED AT TOWN MEETING
Contact the Town Clerk or Moderator for further information.
What is Town Meeting and how do you
participate?
The Town of Sunderland has an Open Town Meeting form of government,
meaning all registered voters in the Town of Sunderland may participate.
Town Meeting is the legislative body of the Town. It convenes, at least annually
at the time and place designated by the Selectmen. Town Meeting considers and
adopts an annual operating budget. It also considers and acts upon other
matters which require Town Meeting action such as zoning changes, street
acceptances, by-law additions and amendments. The business of each Town
Meeting is contained in a document known as "the warrant" which includes all
matters on which the Town must act. The warrant is mailed to all registered
voters in advance of the Town Meeting. Articles are inserted in the warrant by
the Board of Selectmen and by Citizen Petition. The order is determined by the
Selectmen.
Town Meeting is unique to New England. The following information is provided to
help you become an informed participant in this basic democratic process that is
our legislative form of government.
Town Meeting Procedures
How to place an article on the Town Meeting Warrant
To place a private article onto the Annual Town Meeting Warrant, a resident may
obtain a warrant article form at the Town Clerk's Office. This form is used as
petition for ten (10) registered voters who sign to have an article appear on
the Warrant. The Warrant for the Annual Town Meeting is opened and closed by the
Board of Selectmen. This normally takes place March. However, articles for
the Warrant may be accepted earlier than the open date if necessary. The
articles are filed and stamped in by the Board of Selectmen, transferred to the
Town Clerk's Office for certification by the Board of Registrars, and returned
to the Board of Selectmen for processing.
After the articles have been placed on the Warrant for a Town Meeting, the
articles go through a series of committee and department reviews and hearings.
Different boards and committees are responsible for a report at Town Meeting of
their findings depending on whose jurisdiction the article will fall under.
For instance, all money articles are reviewed by the Finance
Committee. A report on their findings are given at Town Meeting when the article
is addressed.
Residents are welcome to attend these meetings to explain their article to the
committee. More discussion will be generated on the floor of Town Meeting before
any action is taken by the Town Meeting members.
How to place an article on a Special Town Meeting Warrant
From time to time, Special Town Meetings may be called to take care of any
unforeseen emergencies that occur between Annual Town Meetings. These meetings,
because of the nature of the articles, are usually called over a shorter period
of time and the warrant is not open as long.
To place an article on a Special Town Meeting Warrant, residents need one
hundred signatures of registered voters and follow the same procedures as the
above.
How to enter Town Meeting
Town Meetings are held at the Sunderland Elementary School, 1 Swampfield Drive.
Alternate locations may be designated by the Board of Selectmen when the school
is unavailable.
Anyone may attend the meeting but only registered voters may vote.
How to be recognized to speak - A voter may be recognized by standing and
saying, "Mr. (or Madam) Moderator." Before making any remarks the speaker must
give his or her name and address.
How to make a motion and amend an article
Amendments must be presented in writing. After discussion on the
amendment the Moderator calls for a vote on the amendment only. If passed the
original motion, as amended, is voted upon.
Motions or amendments which differ materially from that
printed in the warrant must be given to the voters in writing at the time of
consideration, or shown on a screen readable by all voters. Motions to table are
rarely used.
Budget questions - Questions on the budget are encouraged. A Town Meeting
Member may address the Moderator on any line item in the finance committee
report. Amendments may be offered and will be voted on individually.
Majority Vote - Unless otherwise provided all motions require a majority
vote to
carry.
Declaring the Vote - The Moderator may decide the sense of the meeting by
a
voice vote. If in doubt, or, if the decision is questioned, a standing vote may
be called for. A Town Meeting Member may request a standing vote.
Privileged Motions - A speaker may be interrupted only for a point of
order, a
question of the legality of a motion, or a question to clarify information.
Previous Question - Previous question is a formal motion which, if
passed, cuts
off debate. The motion is not debatable. It is allowed by the Moderator when in
his judgment the matter has been adequately discussed. .
Reconsideration - Reconsideration is sometimes used to raise new
information or
to correct an oversight or an illegality
Display - Presenters who wish to show slides or present other visual
material
should make arrangements before the meeting.
Adjourn / Dissolve - A meeting may adjourn to a later time and a
different
place, but when a meeting is dissolved it is finished. A meeting may not be
dissolved until every article in the warrant has been acted upon.
By-Law Constraints On Town Meeting
Town Meeting Schedule - The Annual Town Meeting is held the last Friday
in May.
Special Town Meetings may be held at such times and places as the Selectmen may
designate. Any meeting may be adjourned from time to time to any place in the
Town.
Warrants - Copies of the Warrant shall be posted in or on the Town
Offices, Graves Memorial Library,
and the Post Office, fourteen days or more before the date of the meeting.
Annual Town Report - At least seven days before the annual meeting the
Board of Selectmen
shall make available to all registered voters an annual report.
Disclosure of Interest - Any person having a monetary or equitable
interest in
any matter under discussion at any Town Meeting or employed by another having
such as interest shall disclose the fact before speaking thereon.
Statutory Constraints On Town Meeting
(Refer to Chapter 39 of the Massachusetts General Laws for Precise Wording)
The Annual Town Meeting is held approximately one week before the Annual
Town Election. The Selectmen shall insert in the warrant all articles requested
in writing by
ten or more registered voters. The warrant shall be published and posted at
least seven days before the meeting stating the time and the place of the
meeting and the subjects to be acted on.
A Moderator must be elected to preside over the meeting, regulate proceedings,
decide all questions of order, and make public declaration of all votes. If a
vote is questioned by seven or more voters, statute requires a standing vote. If
the statutes require a standing vote the count shall be taken and the result
shall be recorded by the Clerk. If the vote is unanimous the count need not be
taken and the Clerk shall so record it.
No person shall address a Town Meeting without leave of the Moderator and all
persons shall, at the request of the Moderator, be silent.
Who's Who At Town Meeting
The Moderator - presides over and conducts the meeting. S/He is an
elected
official.
Town Clerk - Is the chief election official, custodian of the Town's
records,
and recording secretary of the meeting.
Board of Selectmen - (3) Elected policy making body, appoints Town
Administrator and
compiles the warrant.
Town Administrator - Appointed by the Board of Selectmen, the
Administrator is the Chief
Executive Officer who prepares and submits the budget to the Selectmen and
Finance Committee on or before a date certain. A voter may direct questions to
the Administrator relating to the budget or to warrant articles.
Finance Committee - Appointed by the Moderator, it reviews the budget,
makes recommendations on all financial matters, prepares and distributes a
printed report of its recommendations and other relevant information, to assist
Town Meeting in making final decisions.
School Committee - (5) Elected and responsible for the operation of the
educational system, prepares the school budget, appoints the Superintendent, and
defines educational philosophy and policy.
Superintendent of Schools - Chief executive officer for implementing
school
committee policy and directives.
Town Counsel - Chief legal officer and legal advisor to the Town Meeting.
Planning Board - (5) Elected board, it advises Town Meeting on a range of
planning and zoning matters.
Conservation Commission - (5) Appointed by the Board of Selectmen as
custodian of Town
owned conservation land. It recommends land acquisitions to the Meeting.
Budget terms Used At Town Meeting
Budget - A financial plan for a given period of time embodying both
estimates of
proposed expenditures and the proposed means of financing them.
Fiscal Year - Cities and towns in Massachusetts operate on a fiscal year
which
begins July 1 and ends June 30. The number of the fiscal year is the calendar
year when it ends.
Levy Limit - Under Proposition 2 1/2 the maximum amount that a community
can
raise in property taxes is 2 1/2% more than the maximum it was allowed to raise
for the prior fiscal year plus growth revenue.
Growth Revenue - The amount of property tax revenue a community can add
to its
tax levy by taxing new construction. It is computed using the prior year's tax
rate.
Excess Levy Capacity - The difference between a community's maximum tax
levy
limit and the amount it actually levies in property taxes.
Free Cash - The amount of surplus revenue over and above uncollected
taxes as of
July 1 of each year as certified by the State. It is available for appropriation
by Town Meeting.
Overlay - The overlay is the amount raised by the Assessors independently
of
Town Meeting as permitted by law for the purpose of creating a fund to cover
property tax abatements and avoid fractions in the tax rate.
Reserve Fund - The fund established by the voters at Annual Town Meeting
for
extraordinary or unforeseen expenditures. Transfers from the Reserve Fund
require the approval of the Finance Committee.
Cherry Sheet - Named for the cherry colored paper on which the
Massachusetts
Department of Revenue traditionally printed it on, the cherry sheet details the
estimated state aid to be received by the Town along with the County and State
assessments to be paid.
Conservation Fund - The fund established by Town Meeting several years
ago for
the purpose of acquiring land for conservation purposes. The Town has made
periodic appropriations to the fund. The fund is administered by the
Conservation Commission.
Compensation Fund - A reserve for salary adjustments that may occur
during the
fiscal year. Transfers from the Compensation Fund require the approval of the
Board of Selectmen.
Override - A referendum procedure in which a community by popular vote
can
either increase its levy limit (general override) or collect property taxes in
excess of its levy limit to finance specific capital expenditures (debt
exclusion or capital outlay exclusion overrides).