Town Meeting Time

On Monday evening, November 6 at 7:30 PM in Winchester High School, Town Moderator John Sullivan will gavel Town Meeting to order and Town Clerk Mary Ellen Lannon will recite the notice to the Constables to post the Warrant. Town Meeting has evolved throughout the years, but it remains essentially the same institution that was established to govern the first communities of our country back in the 17th century. Town Meeting is the legislative branch of the Town of Winchester’s government. Only Town Meeting can appropriate funds, pass by-laws (ordinances), adopt zoning, authorize debt and sell land.

Town Meeting is a dying breed. It is only practiced in the New England states, and then only available to towns, not cities. Many New England towns have opted to abolish Town Meeting and move to a council form of government. Massachusetts is an exception (no surprise!). With the exception of a handful of towns, Town Meeting is the form of government for all towns in Massachusetts. This is even the case for larger communities such as Brookline, Framingham and Arlington.

This fall, the Winchester Town Meeting will consider important land use and budgetary matters. There are zoning proposals to control development at the former Immaculate Conception site on Main Street and the former Pansy Patch property on Cambridge Street. There is a proposal to adopt the Community Preservation Act (CPA), a state initiative that establishes a property tax surcharge to fund open space acquisition, historic preservation and affordable housing. Town Meeting will also be asked to approve some capital expenditures and approve increases in water and sewer rates.

I encourage all Town Meeting Members and interested residents of the Town to refer to the Town Meeting Section of the Town’s Internet site. It has copies of all official documentation on each article of the Warrant.

Town Meeting is a special institution that represents pure democratic government. Let’s celebrate it this fall with informed and respectful debate.