TOWN MEETING RULES
Adopted ATM 2006 – (Amended STM October 2009)
1. The conduct of Marshfield’s Town Meeting is dictated by Federal and State law, the Town’s Charter and By-Laws, local tradition, and then the publication entitled “Town Meeting Time”.
2. The Moderator shall preside over Town Meeting, decide all questions of order and procedure, and announce the results of all votes.
3. The Moderator may call for a voice vote, standing vote, show of hands, roll-call vote or secret ballot. A motion for any of these voting methods may be made at any time during the discussion phase of an Article by a recognized voter. If the results of a voice vote or a show of hands vote are questioned by seven (7) voters standing immediately after the announced vote, a standing vote will be taken without debate. A majority of the voters must approve any motion for a roll call vote or a vote by secret ballot. No voter will be subject to declaring his vote before said vote is called.
4. All matters shall be decided by a majority vote unless a 2/3 or greater vote is required. If more than a majority vote is required, the Moderator shall announce the required percentage for passage before calling for the vote.
5. In order for Town Meeting to act on or discuss an Article, a motion must be made. The Moderator will call for a motion on each Article. If no motion is made after the second call, the Moderator will “pass over” the Article and move on to the next Article. In order to bring back a “passed over” Article for discussion, a motion for reconsideration must be approved by a majority vote.
6. A motion may be reconsidered once by a majority vote. No further reconsideration will be permitted unless the Moderator determines that there has been a significant procedural error or that there is new information likely to affect the vote. There will be no reconsideration of a vote either on a subsequent evening or after 10:30pm on the evening of the vote in question.
7. Articles may be postponed by a majority vote or advanced by approval of the Moderator and a 2/3 vote.
8. To address Town Meeting, a speaker must first be recognized by the Moderator then give his or her name and address for the record. No speaker will be recognized while another person is speaking except to raise “a point of order” which is used to question a ruling of the Moderator or the conduct of the Town Meeting. “Points of Order” are NOT to address the subject matter being discussed.
9. The Moderator may set time limits on all presentations and may terminate debate on a motion when he deems it appropriate. Debate on a motion may also be terminated by a recognized voter “moving the question” which, if accepted by the Moderator as not being premature, shall be voted on without discussion or debate. A motion to “move the question” requires a 2/3 vote for passage. The Moderator may set limits on the number of times a voter can speak on an article.
10. Articles in the Warrant give notice of the subjects to be discussed at Town Meeting and establish the parameters of matters that can be debated and acted upon. Amendments, motions, and/or debate determined by the Moderator, with the advice of Town Counsel, to be “beyond the scope” of the Articles may not be permitted.
11. Only two (2) amendments to a motion may be on the floor at any particular time. Generally, amendments shall be voted on in the order made and prior to the vote on the motion to be amended. Amendments over ten (10) words must be submitted to the Moderator in writing and, if over fifty (50) words, sufficient copies must be available at the entrance of the hall before the start of that particular session.
12. Consideration of differing dollar amounts to be appropriated shall be voted on in descending order, the largest number first, until an amount gains approval.
13. Non-voters will be seated in a special section unless permission is granted by the Town Meeting to be seated elsewhere. Non-voters may be allowed to address the Town Meeting with permission of the Moderator unless a majority of voters choose to deny such a privilege.
14. A resolution is a non-debatable, non-binding motion on any matter calling for a consensus of the Town Meeting. If a resolution is over ten (10) words, it must be submitted to the Moderator in writing and, if over fifty (50) words, sufficient copies must be available at the entrance of the hall to those attending.
15. No new business will be taken up after 10:30pm on any evening.
16. When justice or order requires, the Moderator may make exceptions to these rules as he/she, in his/her discretion, deems it appropriate under the circumstances and with the concurrence of the majority of the voters.
17. The Town Clerk shall report to town meeting on signage.
Respectfully submitted,
James Fitzgerald, Moderator
MUNICIPAL FINANCE TERMS
APPROPRIATION - An authorization by the Town Meeting to make obligations and payments from the treasury for a specific purpose.
ASSESSED VALUATION - A valuation set upon real or personal property by the Board of Assessors as a basis for levying taxes.
BETTERMENT - A betterment assessment is a charge for the cost of public improvements, which benefit a limited area, against real estate situated in such.
BOND - A loan, typically over a year in maturity.
BOND AUTHORIZATION - The amount of money the Town Meeting approves for borrowing for a specific purpose.
BOND ISSUE - Generally, the sale of a certain number of bonds at one time by a governmental unit.
CAPITAL BUDGET - A plan of proposed capital outlays and the means of financing them for the current fiscal period.
CAPITAL OUTLAY - An expenditure for the purchase of property or equipment and for the construction or renovation of a facility and infrastructure.
CHERRY SHEET - A form showing all state and county charges and reimbursements to the town as certified by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.
DEBT SERVICE - Payment of interest and repayment of principal to holders of the town's debt instruments.
ENTERPRISE FUND - Financing of services where all or most of the costs are paid for by users.
ENTERPRISE RETAINED EARNINGS - If during a fiscal year an Enterprise fund produces a surplus, such surplus shall be kept in a separate account called "retained earnings". The Department of Revenue then certifies that surplus as an available fund which can be used for:
1. operating costs to offset the need to increase user charges,
2. to fund capital improvements,
3. to reimburse General Fund to the extent the General Fund has funded a particular service in prior years, or
4. to fund Enterprise Fund revenue deficits.
FISCAL YEAR - A 12 month period, commencing on July 1, to which the annual budget applies. (Abbreviated as "FY".)
FREE CASH - The excess of assets over liabilities, minus uncollected taxes of prior years, also referred to as "available cash". The amount is certified annually by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Free Cash may be appropriated by vote of a town meeting.
GENERAL FUND - The major town owned fund which is created with town receipts and which is charged with expenditures payable from such revenues.
GRANT - A contribution of assets by one governmental unit or other organization to another. Typically, these contributions are made to local governments from the state and federal government. Grants are usually made for specific purposes.
LEVY LIMIT - The amount of dollars a Town can raise by taxation under Proposition 2 1/2.
LINE-ITEM BUDGET - A format of budgeting which organizes costs by type of expenditure. Such as expenses, equipment, and salaries.
OVERLAY - The overlay is the amount raised by the Assessors to be used for potential abatement of property taxes. The Overlay Surplus is the portion of each year's overlay account no longer required to cover property tax abatements.
PROPERTY TAX LEVY - The amount produced by multiplying the assessed valuation of property by the tax rate. The tax rate is expressed "per thousand dollars" of assessed valuation.
RESERVE FUND - Money set aside by Town Meeting to be allocated by the Advisory Board for extraordinary and unforeseen expenditures.
REVOLVING FUND (Ch.44, Sec. 53E 1/2) - A Town may annually authorize the use of a revolving fund by accounting for separately the receipts received from a particular service or program and expend from such fund for providing such service or program without appropriation.
STABILIZATION FUND - A special account which is invested until used and can only be utilized by town meeting appropriation.
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