Town Meeting:Town Meeting and the Town Meeting Members Association

All Town Meeting Members are invited to join the Town Meeting Members Association (TMMA). The goal of this organization is to establish the factual basis necessary for intelligent decisions and to assist in other constructive ways in the government of Lexington. Not an official Town body, it is a private volunteer group operating under its own by-laws and supported primarily by annual dues. The members from each precinct annually select three precinct officers, Chair, Vice-Chair, and Clerk. These 27 people, together with the five Town-wide TMMA officers, compose the executive committee of the association. The five Town-wide officers of the TMMA (Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Communications Officer) are elected at the annual meeting of the TMMA, which is usually held just before one of the Warrant Information Meetings hosted by the TMMA.

Activities of the TMMA include preparation of the Warrant Information Report and the sponsorship of several Warrant Information Meetings which are open to the public as well as the TMMA membership. Just before each Town Meeting, the organization sponsors a bus tour for members to visit sites particularly affected by the Warrant articles. Through the Communications Working Group, TMMA sponsors its own website at http://www.lexingtontmma.org/. The TMMA also supports an e-mail list that provides information and a forum for extended discussion of Town Government issues year round.

The TMMA Executive Committee usually meets on the second Wednesday of each month in the Town Office Building or Cary Memorial Building, at 7:30 p.m. There are no meetings when Town Meeting is in session and during the months of July and August. The Executive Committee plans and schedules the TMMA activities, hears reports from subcommittees, hears updates on budget and other Town matters from Town officials and others with relevant expertise, and discusses recommendations for improvements in the operation of local government. It also controls the disbursement of TMMA funds for the TMMA activities, such as the information booklet and bus tour. All Town Meeting Members are invited to attend and participate in these meetings on a non-voting basis. The Executive Committee Members receive copies of the minutes of these monthly meetings.

TODO: role of mailing list moderator.