What Town Meeting IS and What it IS NOT

By Moderator Cathy Cordes

The Town Meeting form of government “speaks for the belief that a society is safer and freer when the bulk of its citizens understand the programs and goals that their government has chosen and when they have achieved this understanding because these programs and goals have been honestly discussed in public.”

—  Quote from Town Meeting Time: A Handbook of Parliamentary Law, published by the Massachusetts Moderators Association 2001

Bedford has an “open” town meeting, which means that all of Bedford’s registered voters are eligible to come to Town Meeting (TM).  Some towns in Massachusetts have a “representative” town meeting and elect their TM members.

In the government structure of Bedford, registered voters attending TM are the “legislators.” Town Meeting members are vested by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Bedford’s Charter with the traditional powers of the legislative branch of any level of government: the power to make laws (in this case, called By-laws) and the power to approve the expenditure of money.  No money can be expended by the Town without the approval of Town Meeting.  No general or zoning laws can be enacted by Bedford without the approval of Town Meeting.

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You can read these Zoning Bylaws, General Bylaw, and Bedford’s Charter on the town website.

What Bedford’s Town Meeting is NOT

It is very popular for today’s political candidates and congress members to hold what they refer to as “Town Meetings.”  These are in general sessions, open to anyone, where the person organizing the meeting presents ideas and the audience responds, asks questions, and makes comments. This is NOT what is referred to as Town Meeting in Bedford.

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October 24, 2017 9:46 am

Thank you Cathy! Your article is a great opportunity to learn the protocol of Town Meeting. As someone participating in local government for the first time since we moved here in ’94, its very helpful to have this information.

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