Chapter 2

Section 1 Definitions

2.1.1 A Town Meeting is defined as any session of the voters of the Town provided for by section 2.4.1 of this charter.

2.1.2 An Emergency Town Meeting is defined as any session of the voters of the Town not expressly scheduled by this charter.

2.1.3 It is the intent of this charter that any provision of the constitution or general laws embodying the term "Annual Town Meeting" and which pertains to the legislative affairs of the Town, pertains to any Town Meeting expressly provided for by section 2.4.1 of this charter.

Section 2 Composition, Quorum, Adjournment

2.2.1 The legislative powers of the Town shall be exercised by a Town Meeting open to all registered voters of the Town.

2.2.2 The number of voters necessary to constitute a quorum at Town Meeting shall be established through bylaws. [Amended 4/24/1978 ATM by Art. 22, approved 9/30/1978]

2.2.3 When the number of voters in attendance at a Town Meeting is determined to be less than the established quorum, the meeting shall be adjourned forwith [sic] to a stated date, time, and place.

Section 3 Powers and Responsibilities

2.3.1 The Town Meetings shall consider and act upon all proposed bylaws.

2.3.2 The Town Meeting shall consider and act upon, with or without amendments, all proposed operating and capital budgets, bond issues, and other financial proposals of the Town.

2.3.3 The Town Meeting may require any Town official, elected or appointed, as well as any department or division head, to attend any session of the Town Meeting for the purpose of furnishing information pertinent to the warrant, provided that such person is accorded five days written notice of such requirement.

2.3.4 The Town Meeting may investigate the affairs of any Town division, department, board, commission, committee, office, or function.

Section 4 Procedures

2.4.1 The Town Meeting shall meet regularly on the first available Monday in June not in conflict with a religious or legal holiday to consider and adopt an annual operating and capital budget, and to act on other financial matters, as well as to consider and act upon such other business as may properly come before the meeting; and on the first available Monday in October not in conflict with a religious or legal holiday to consider and act on matters of planning, zoning, subdivision control, building codes, and all other matters of a bylaw nature, as well as to consider and act upon such other business as may properly come before the meeting, including financial matters; said dates for the June and October town meetings shall be set by the Selectmen at a public hearing held during a regularly scheduled meeting of the board annually in January. [Amended 10/2/1995 ATM by Art. 7, approved 5/7/1996]  [Amended Chapter 179 Acts of 2005, approved 1/5/2006] [Amended Chapter 414 Acts of 2010, approved 1/5/2011]

2.4.2 In all procedural matters, the Town Meeting shall follow the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order, except as provided by general law, this charter, and bylaw.

2.4.3 The warrant for any Town Meeting shall be mailed to each residence in the Town at least fourteen days prior to the commencement of said meeting. [Amended 10/2/1995 ATM by Art. 8, approved 5/7/1996]

2.4.4 Notice of any Town Meeting shall be given by printing the date, time, and place of the meeting in a newspaper of local circulation at least once during each of two consecutive weeks immediately prior to such meeting.

2.4.5 Adjournment of a session of a Town Meeting must be to a stated date, time and place.

2.4.6 The substance of any article defeated at a Town Meeting shall not again be placed on the warrant for a period of one year without the specific approval of the Finance Committee.

2.4.7 All proposed operating expenditures shall be included in a single, omnibus-type article in the Town Warrant, and the same procedure shall prevail for all proposed capital expenditures.

2.4.8 The warrant for each Town Meeting shall be prepared by the Board of Selectmen.

2.4.9 The date, time, and place for any Emergency Town Meeting shall be established by the Board of Selectmen, but the calling of such shall be in accordance with general law provisions for calling a Special Town Meeting.

2.4.10 The sequence in which warrant articles shall be considered by a Town Meeting shall be as printed in the warrant, unless otherwise provided for by bylaw. [Amended 4/10/1995 ATM by Art. 18, approved 5/7/1996]

2.4.11 The Town Meeting shall not consider fiscal matters without Finance Committee recommendations.

Section 5 Finance Committee

2.5.1 A Finance Committee of nine registered voters of the Town shall be appointed for three year terms. Three members shall be appointed by the Moderator each year following adjournment of the June Town Meeting. Members shall serve without compensation, but may receive necessary and actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties within limits of an appropriation made for that purpose. [Amended Chapter 414 Acts of 2010, approved 1/5/2011]

2.5.2 The Committee shall make recommendations to the Town Meeting relative to all articles in the warrants of all Town Meetings dealing with fiscal matters and such other matters as the Committee deems appropriate. All recommendations for and against articles shall include a brief explanation at Town Meeting. [Amended 10/2/1995 ATM by Art. 9, approved 5/7/1996]

2.5.3 During their terms of office, Committee members shall not hold any other public office in the Town or serve on any other board, committee, or commission of the town, except in an advisory capacity, without the specific approval of the Town Meeting.

2.5.4 The Committee shall have authority to investigate all areas of Town government, and all records required for the conduct of such investigations shall be made available to the Committee.