Difference between revisions of "Town Meeting:Town Meeting in Lexington"

Latest revision as of 13:53, 28 May 2014

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.

For additional useful references, see the section How to Become Informed.

Formal Procedures

This section provides a summary of Lexington Town Meeting procedures. It includes many customs that have been adopted over the years. This is not a substitute for the text of the Town's By-laws, but is intended as a guide to understanding the conduct of Town Meeting.

Guidelines and Practices

This section covers guidelines and informal practices that Town Meeting Members are urged to follow during Town Meeting.

Beyond Town Meeting

A lot of important things happen while Town Meeting is not in session.

The Budget Process

How To...

Town Meeting Members Association

Town Meeting and the Town Meeting Members Association

Glossary

Glossary

About This Document

This is the fifth version of Town Meeting in Lexington, and the first online version.

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

Revision History of Town Meeting in Lexington

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+{{Town Meeting In Lexington Header}}
+<!-- The lines above are needed in order to set up page title, categories and sidebar -->
 ==Introduction==
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 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.
+For additional useful references, see the section [[Town_Meeting:How to Become Informed | How to Become Informed]].
+* [[Town_Meeting:History | History]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:Participants | Participants]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:When and Where | When and Where]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:The Warrant | The Warrant]]
-* [[Town_Meeting:History]]
+==Formal Procedures==
-* [[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 is not a substitute for the text of the Town's By-laws, but is intended as a guide to understanding the conduct of Town Meeting.
-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.
+* [[Town_Meeting:Opening Ceremonies | Opening Ceremonies]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:Speaking at Town Meeting | Speaking at 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.
+* [[Town_Meeting:Rules of Debate | Rules of Debate]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:Motions | Motions]]
-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.
+* [[Town_Meeting:Parliamentary Motion Guide | Parliamentary Motion Guide]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:Voting at Town Meeting | Voting at Town Meeting]]
-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:Reconsideration | Reconsideration]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:Adjournment | Adjournment]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:Dissolution | Dissolution]]
-* [[Town_Meeting:Opening Ceremonies]]
+==Guidelines and Practices==
-* [[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==
+This section covers guidelines and informal practices that Town Meeting Members are urged to follow during Town Meeting.
-* [[Town_Meeting:General Decorum]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:General Decorum | General Decorum]]
-* [[Town_Meeting:Documents and Information]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:Documents and Information | Documents and Information]]
-* [[Town_Meeting:Speaking Guidelines]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:Speaking Guidelines | Speaking Guidelines]]
-* [[Town_Meeting:Amending Motions]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:Amending Motions | Amending Motions]]
-* [[Town_Meeting:Ethics]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:Ethics | Ethics]]
 ==Beyond Town Meeting==
-A lot of important things happen in between Town Meeting.
+A lot of important things happen while Town Meeting is not in session.
-* [[Town_Meeting:Referenda]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:Referenda | Referenda]]
-* [[Town_Meeting:Proposition 2½ and Overrides]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:Proposition 2½ and Overrides | Proposition 2½ and Overrides]]
-* [[Town_Meeting:Finances]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:Constituents | Constituents]]
 ==The Budget Process==
+* [[Town_Meeting:Finances | Finances]]
-[[Town_Meeting:The Budget Process]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:The Budget Process | The Budget Process]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:Revenues | Revenues]]
-[[Town_Meeting:Revenues]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:Borrowing | Borrowing]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:Reserve Fund | Reserve Fund]]
-[[Town_Meeting:Borrowing]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:The Tax Rate | The Tax Rate]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:Fiscal Administration | Fiscal Administration]]
-[[Town_Meeting:Reserve Fund]]
-[[Town_Meeting:The Tax Rate]]
-[[Town_Meeting:Fiscal Administration]]
 ==How To...==
+* [[Town_Meeting:How to Run for Election | Run for Election]]
-[[Town_Meeting:How to Run for Election]]
+** [[Town_Meeting:How to Run for Election#How to Campaign | Campaign in an Election]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:How to Prepare an Article for the Warrant | Prepare an Article for the Warrant]]
-[[Town_Meeting:How to Run a Campaign]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:How to Prepare a Motion for Town Meeting | Prepare a Motion for Town Meeting]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:How to Become Informed | Become Informed]]
-[[Town_Meeting:How to Prepare an Article for the Warrant]]
+* [[Town_Meeting:How to Resign from Town Meeting | Resign from Town Meeting]]
-[[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 | Town Meeting and the Town Meeting Members Association]]
-[[Town_Meeting:Town Meeting and the Town Meeting Members Association]]
+==Glossary==
+* [[Town_Meeting:Glossary | Glossary]]
-==Revision History==
-''Fifth Edition''
+==About This Document==
-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.
+This is the fifth version of ''Town Meeting in Lexington'', and the first online version.
 Contributors: Edith Sandy, Glenn P. Parker, Andrei Radulescu-Banu, Kathryn R. Colburn, Molly Nye, Vicki Blier
-''Fourth Edition''
+[[Town_Meeting:Revision History of Town Meeting in Lexington | Revision History of Town Meeting in Lexington]]
-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
+<!-- The lines below are needed in order to set up page title, categories and sidebar -->
+[[Category:Local Politics]]
+[[Category:Town Meeting|Town Meeting]]
+[[Category:Town Meeting In Lexington|Town Meeting In Lexington]]
+{{Town Meeting In Lexington Footer}}
+{{DISPLAYTITLE:Town Meeting In Lexington, 5th Edition}}