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Voter’s Guide to Town Meeting Procedures
Since 1762, Town Meeting has been the basic system of governance for Vermont towns. The annual meetings are held in most towns (including Middlesex) on the first Tuesday of March. Voters have an opportunity to speak and be heard and vote on budgets and other articles affecting the life of the municipality.
The “meetings” aren’t meetings of Selectboards or other municipal bodies. Town Meetings are meetings of the voters, where binding action can be taken based on warned articles on the floor, usually after debate or discussion.
Town Meeting is the one time of the year when voters are in charge. Selectboards and other town officials get their marching orders on appropriations and policy.
Some people go to Town Meeting and leave in frustration. They may be put off by the formality of the meeting. Perhaps they don’t understand parliamentary procedure, and may be embarrassed to ask how to frame a motion, make an amendment, or ask for a paper ballot vote on a question.
Here are some of the basic rules on how these meetings are conducted. Knowing how it all works is important for anyone who wants to play an active role in local democracy.
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What Others Have Said About Town Meeting...
Town meetings are to liberty what primary schools are to science; they bring it within the people’s reach, and teach men how to use and enjoy it.” Alexis de Tocqueville, 1862
Town meeting has been not only the source but the school of democracy.” James Bryce, 1912
This is what comes of their wretched town meetings--they are the proceedings of a tumultuous and riotous rabble...” Lord Germain (appointed by the King to be Secretary of State to the Colonies) when he heard about the Boston Tea Party
A school of public spirit.” John Stuart Mill
Town Meeting is like sex. When it’s good, it’s very very good, and when it’s bad, it’s still better’n anything else.” UVM Professor Frank Bryan
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