Parliamentary Procedure Refresher

The purpose of Town Meeting is to establish and update the by-laws, operational policies, budgets and land use rules that govern our Town.  Lynnfield's Open Town Meeting has been in force as our form of government since 1782. It represents the purest form of democracy in that every vote truly counts. Each registered voter is guaranteed an equal voice in the decisions made by the Meeting.  These rules are historically based on the traditions established by generations of Lynnfield citizens and by other New England communities, acting as legislators of their local governments.

The Warrant:  The Board of Selectmen schedule Town Meeting and set the agenda by publishing the “Warrant.”   Under state law, “Every town meeting shall be called by a warrant issued by the board of selectmen, which shall state the time and place at which the meeting is to convene and, by separate articles, the subject matter to be acted upon.” [MGL, Chapter 39, Section 10]

Key Participants

The Moderator – The moderator presides (runs) the meeting.  Under state law, “The moderator shall preside and regulate the proceedings, decide all questions of order, and make public declaration of all votes.” [MGL, Chapter 39, Section 15]

Town Clerk – Serves as clerk of the town meeting, and creates the official record of the proceedings.  The record of the clerk is final and may not be changed or edited by the town meeting or anyone else but the clerk.

Board of Selectmen – Is the executive branch of town government. As the town’s executives the selectmen take an active role in presenting motions for various articles and make recommendations to the meeting.

Finance Committee – The Finance Committee is responsible for analyzing the fiscal impact of proposed warrant articles and making reports and recommendations to Town Meeting. [MGL, Chapter 39, Sec. 16]

Other Boards and Committees – When appropriate other committees, such as the Planning Board or Board of Health, will be called upon to give recommendation on articles pertaining to their areas of responsibility.

The Process

The Warrant - The warrant acts as the agenda for Town Meeting. It consists of a series of articles, each of which provides a general description of the action proposed.  The moderator will typically follow the order of articles as contained in the warrant, although the order may be changed by the moderator or the meeting.

The Motion - All actions taken by a town meeting are taken by votes upon motions. While the article describes the general topic to be addressed, the main motion provides the specific details.  The moderator turns to the sponsor of an article to make the motion. 

Debate - Following any presentation by the sponsor of the article and upon hearing the recommendations of town committees and boards, the moderator will “open the floor” for debate.

• All comments should be restricted to the subject being debated and conducted in a respectful and courteous manner.
• “No person shall address a town meeting without leave of the moderator, and all persons shall, at the request of the moderator, be silent.” [MGL, Chapter 39, Sec. 17]

Vote - Once debate is concluded or a motion is passed to end debate, a vote is taken on the motion before the meeting.  Many votes require a majority vote, though higher standards (typically two-thirds) may be required by Massachusetts law or town by-laws.