Town Meeting:Town Meeting in Lexington

Introduction

This wiki is designed to familiarize new Town Meeting Members with the workings of Town Meeting. It can also serve as a reference for all participants in Lexington government including Town officials, committee members, and other citizens.

This wiki gives a short history of Town Meeting in Lexington, and describes the current procedures and practices. It contains practical advice on being elected to Town Meeting and on how to become an informed and effective Town Meeting Member.

Additional useful information is contained in a document called TOWN OF LEXINGTON BOARD AND COMMITTEE HANDBOOK, available from the Town Clerk's office.

• Town_Meeting:History
• Town_Meeting:Participants
• Town_Meeting:When and Where
• Town_Meeting:The Warrant

Procedures

This section provides a summary of Lexington Town Meeting procedures. It includes many customs that have been adopted over the years. This summary is not a legal document but is intended as a general guide to understanding the conduct of Town Meeting.

The purpose of Town Meeting is to vote on all the articles in the Warrant. Rules of order and procedure for the conduct of Town Meeting business are in the Town By-laws. Where rules are not dictated by statute, by-laws, or tradition, Roberts' Rules of Parliamentary Practice governs. All business is conducted through the Moderator, who presides at Town Meeting.

Relevant information for Town Meeting Members is available on the Town Meeting Members Association website at http://www.lexingtontmma.org/ and on the TMMA tables in the lobby when town meeting is in session. The Town Meeting Members Association (TMMA), sponsors of this practice, request that each piece be signed and dated and indicate the article to which it applies.

The front section of the auditorium is reserved for Town Meeting Members. Citizens may sit in the balcony or in the back section of the hall and may address the Town Meeting, but they may not make motions and must not participate in any votes. The proceedings of Town Meeting sessions are usually made available for home viewing on local cable TV channels.

• Town_Meeting:Opening Ceremonies
• Town_Meeting:Speaking at Town Meeting
• Town_Meeting:Rules of Debate
• Town_Meeting:Motions
• Town_Meeting:Parliamentary Motion Guide
• Town_Meeting:Voting at Town Meeting
• Town_Meeting:Reconsideration
• Town_Meeting:Adjournment
• Town_Meeting:Dissolution

Current Practices

• Town_Meeting:General Decorum
• Town_Meeting:Documents and Information
• Town_Meeting:Speaking Guidelines
• Town_Meeting:Amending Motions
• Town_Meeting:Ethics

Beyond Town Meeting

A lot of important things happen in between Town Meeting.

• Town_Meeting:Referenda
• Town_Meeting:Proposition 2½ and Overrides
• Town_Meeting:Finances

The Budget Process

Town_Meeting:The Budget Process

Town_Meeting:Revenues

Town_Meeting:Borrowing

Town_Meeting:Reserve Fund

Town_Meeting:The Tax Rate

Town_Meeting:Fiscal Administration

How To...

Town_Meeting:How to Run for Election

Town_Meeting:How to Prepare an Article for the Warrant

Town_Meeting:How to Prepare a Motion for Town Meeting

Town_Meeting:How to Become Informed

Town_Meeting:How to Resign from Town Meeting

Town Meeting Members Association

Town_Meeting:Town Meeting and the Town Meeting Members Association

Revision History

Fifth Edition

This is the fifth version of Town Meeting in Lexington, and the first online version. The fourth edition was converted to wiki format, and then expanded and updated.

Contributors: Edith Sandy, Glenn P. Parker, Andrei Radulescu-Banu, Kathryn R. Colburn, Molly Nye, Vicki Blier

Fourth Edition

Contributors: Marge Battin, Norm Cohen, Donna Hooper, Deb Mauger, Edith Sandy, Frank Sandy

The contributors to the fourth version would like to thank the contributors to the first, second and third editions.

Third Edition

Margaret Counts-Klebe - Project Director

Contributors: Marge Battin, Norm Cohen, Pat Costello, Jim Courtemanche, Marge Daggett, Andy Friedlich, Donna Hooper, Hank Manz, Gretchen Reisig

Second edition

Shirley Frawley - Copy Editor

Contributors: Marge Battin, Marge Daggett, Gloria Holland, David Kaufman, Marilyn Mairson, Ephraim Weiss

First edition

Project Director: Elizabeth H. Clarke

Editor: Martha Wood

Contributors: Susan Beck, Kenneth Briggs, Jr., Marthur Kalil, Judith Marshall, Sam Silverman