Details

Who: any registered voter may participate, others may observe

What: a special meeting where registered voters of the town can vote on special town business. Town Meetings considered to be the legislative body of the Town. Special Town Meetings require 150 voters to participate.

Where: High School / Middle School Performing Arts Center

When: March 13th at 7 pm

How to participate: Read this explanation of what happens at the North Reading Town Meeting or a general guide and FAQ provided at the MA state website. If you still have it, bring the paper copy of the warrant that was mailed to you a few weeks ago.

Accessibility: There is additional handicapped parking at the front/main entrance of the school, which is a much shorter walk to the performing arts center within the school. There is also an elevator available and students will be present to help anyone who needs additional assistance.

Deadlines

To participate in the Special Town Meeting as a registered voter, you must be registered to vote by March 3, 2017.

Issues

The agenda of the meeting is included in the Town Meeting Warrant, which is available here. The North Reading Transcript discusses some of the issues on this meeting’s warrant here and here.

In general the Town Meeting covers the following (quoted verbatim from the town website where more information about town meetings is available):

Town Meeting considers and adopts an annual operating budget (appropriating money for the salaries and expenses of running the Town, known as the “omnibus” article).  It also considers and acts on other matters which require Town Meeting action, such as additions or amendments to the general or zoning by-laws, street acceptances, articles sponsored by other departments and annual “housekeeping” articles, as well as Citizens’ Petitions (articles requested by registered voters through the petition process).