Article 3. Meeting Procedure

ARTICLE 3. To determine whether the Town will adopt a rule of the meeting governing requirements on Motions and amendments to Motions made at this meeting under Articles concerned with expenditures in order to assure compliance with the requirements of Mass. Gen. Laws c. 59, § 21C (generally referred to as "Proposition 2½"); or take any other action relative thereto.

Article Explanation

The motion under this article, which will be printed in the Town Meeting Briefing Book to be mailed to all households, will require that every motion or motion to amend seeking to make an appropriation greater than the amount recommended by the Finance Committee and designated as “allocation at levy limit,” or where the Finance Committee has recommended NO ACTION, must identify the source of funding. Motions and motions to amend for appropriations supported by borrowing that would exceed the Finance Committee’s recommendation, or on which the Finance Committee recommends NO ACTION, will be required to be made contingent upon approval of a debt exclusion, or with a corresponding offsetting reduction in another borrowing authorization. All articles making appropriations will be kept open until the Meeting’s final adjournment. Town Meeting has adopted this meeting procedure for many years. 

Article Motion

Ms. Wasoff moves that, in order to assure compliance with the requirements of the Mass. Gen. Laws c. 59, § 21C (commonly known as Proposition 2 ½), the Meeting adopt the following Rule of the Meeting:

RULE OF THE MEETING

Articles for appropriations supported from current taxation and/ or available funds. Any motion made under a warrant article or a motion to amend that would increase the appropriation amount over the amount recommended by the Finance Committee and designated by it as the “allocation at levy limit,” or that would provide for an appropriation where the Finance Committee is recommending NO ACTION, must specify the following:

• The original motion or a motion to amend shall specify the amount of increase over the appropriation recommended by the Finance Committee and the source of funding- whether from available funds, taxation within the levy limit, or contingent upon approval of an override ballot vote following the conclusion of Town Meeting if such ballot is voted by the Select Board in accordance with state law;
• If the proposed increased appropriation is proposed to be funded from taxation within the levy limit, the original motion or motion to amend shall specify the source of funding as:
• A reduction in the appropriation amount already voted under a previous article or within the article currently being considered; or
• A maximum amount that may be appropriated within the levy limit under a subsequent article in the warrant.

Articles for appropriations supported from borrowing. The Finance Committee shall report to the Meeting summarizing its recommendations for new tax-supported borrowing authority to be offered at this Meeting and for which the debt service is proposed to be funded within the levy limit.

Any motion made under a warrant article or a motion to amend that would increase the appropriation amount to be met by a borrowing authorization over the amount recommended by the Finance Committee or that would provide for an appropriation to be met by a borrowing authorization where the Finance Committee is recommending NO ACTION, must specify the following:

• The original motion or a motion to amend shall specify the amount of increase over the appropriation recommended by the Finance Committee and shall make the increase contingent upon approval of a debt exclusion or capital outlay exclusion ballot vote following the conclusion of Town Meeting if such ballot is voted by the Select Board in accordance with state law; or
• The original motion or motion to amend shall include a corresponding and offsetting reduction in another borrowing authorization from among those listed by the Finance Committee, either by a reduction in the amount already voted under a previous article or by setting a maximum amount of debt that may be authorized within the levy limit under a subsequent article in the warrant.

Articles making appropriations to be kept open. Any Article making appropriations shall be kept open until the final adjournment of the Meeting.