History

Throughout our six state New England region, in thousands of halls, groups of citizens gather each Spring to hold one of the most sacred rituals of democracy: the Town Meeting. With only slight variation, it is the same form of government set up in the Massachusetts Bay Colony over three hundred fifty years ago. It is government of and for the people but most of all it is government by the people. It is true democracy stripped for action.

Voters will approve or disapprove the salaries and budgets of all Town departments proposed for the coming fiscal year which begins July 1st. All elected and appointed town officials are bound by this allocation. If they anticipate exceeding their budget, they must come back before the voters in a special Town Meeting to ask for more money. Neither the Selectmen nor the School Committee, nor any other official controls the spending of your tax dollars. They can only spend what you give them at Town Meeting. We are a community of 2700 with about 1650 registered voters. Why, then, do we yield the responsibility to spend approximately four million dollars of our tax money to fewer than the about 125 people who attend Town Meeting? Why is not every one of us there and voting? Come make your views known. Don't let others spend your money!