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1. What is the difference between an Annual Town Meeting and a Special Town Meeting?

Annual Town Meetings are held in the spring and in the fall on a date designated by the Board of Selectmen. Special Town Meetings are held when a matter of some urgency comes to the attention of the Board of Selectmen after they have closed the warrant for the Annual Meeting. Not less than seven days notice is required before closing the warrant for an Annual Town Meeting, but notice of a Special Town Meeting requires not less than twenty-four hours before closing the warrant. For more information please call 508-495-7360.

2. How do I become a Town Meeting Member?

At the beginning of March each year nomination papers are available from the Town Clerk's Office. You need to collect 10 signatures from registered voters in your precinct. Nomination papers need to be returned by the end of March and certified by the Registrars for your name to be placed on the ballot at the Annual Election held the third Tuesday in May. Check with the Town Clerk's Office or watch the Enterprise for exact dates. For more information please call 508-495-7360.

3. How do I place an article on the Town Meeting Warrant?

To place a petition article on to the warrant for an Annual Town Meeting, at least 10 registered voters of the town must sign the petition. The petition form may be obtained at the Administrator's or Town Clerk's Office. It is then filed and stamped in by the Administrator's Office and forwarded to the Town Clerk's Office to certify the signatures. If you want a sample of an article to use to draft your article, the Town's Annual Report will have warrants from the previous year's Town Meeting, which you can use as samples. For further assistance, contact the Town Clerk, Town Counsel, or Town Moderator.

To place a petition article on the warrant for a Special Town Meeting, at least 100 registered voters of the town must sign the petition. For more information please call 508-495-7360.

4. What is the quorum for a Town Meeting?

The quorum necessary for the conduct of any business at Town Meeting is 1/2 plus 1 of the total number of Town Meeting Members. Presently, there are 244 Town Meeting Members, so the quorum would be 123 Town Meeting Members. For more information please call 508-495-7360.

5. Is attendance taken?

The League of Women Voters of Falmouth takes attendance at each Town Meeting. This information is then given to the Town Clerk, who maintains a record of those in attendance. Such records shall remain open until the end of each session to enable latecomers to be recorded as present. The attendance record is a public record, is posted in Town Hall, published in the annual town report and published in The Falmouth Enterprise. For more information please call 508-495-7360.

6. Do I need to know "parliamentary" procedure to attend a Town Meeting?

No the Moderator is responsible for running the meeting. Simplified rules of parliamentary procedures can be found in the warrant booklet. Falmouth's parliamentary authority is "Town Meeting Time" and a copy is available in the Falmouth Public Library. For more information please call 508-495-7360.

7. Who may speak at Town Meeting?

All of the town's registered voters, residents and taxpayers may speak on any article in the warrant. Persons who are not voters, residents or taxpayers of the town may address the Town Meeting only with the consent of a majority of those present. If you wish to speak, stand up and wait for the moderator to acknowledge you. When the moderator acknowledges you, state your name and your precinct. Speak about the topic being discussed. Don't speak about a previous topic (unless there is a motion to rescind or reconsider). Make your comments through the moderator, not directly to the Town Meeting or individual Town Meeting Members. For more information please call 508-495-7360.

8. Who may vote at Town Meeting?

Only Town Meeting Members may vote on articles before Town Meeting. For more information please call 508-495-7360.

9. How is a vote taken?

Many Town Meeting votes are by voice. The moderator asks that all in favor say, "AY" and then all opposed, "No." The Moderator listens and determines which side prevailed. If he cannot determine which side prevails or is questioned by at least seven Town Meeting Members, he will ask all in favor to stand. They are counted. Next, all voters who are opposed are asked to stand. They are counted. The Moderator will announce which side prevails by counted vote. In rare cases, Town meeting can vote to have a "roll call" if requested by 20 Town Meeting Members, all Town Meeting Members are called by name and asked how they choose to vote. Town Meeting can only vote to have a "secret ballot" with a motion made for such purpose and approved by a 2/3rds majority. For more information please call 508-495-7360.

10. What is a Blanket Vote?

The Moderator will read a summary of each article, if a Town Meeting Member wants to debate an item, he or she calls out, "Hold!" The moderator will "Hold" that item, and get back to it later. After reading all articles, the moderator calls for 1 vote on all articles that were not "Held". The blanket vote approves all articles "as recommended" that were not held. Then the moderator takes up each article that was held. The moderator calls for debate, possible amendments, and a vote on each item. For more information please call 508-495-7360.

11. How do I make a motion or amendment?

Only Town Meeting Members may make motions and offer amendments. The Moderator must first acknowledge you. Long or complicated motions, and other motions which he requests, need to be presented to the Moderator in writing. Only 2 amendments will be accepted on any article, with the exception of Omnibus Budgets. For more information please call 508-495-7360.

12. How is the budget considered?

The budget in the form of an article is included in the Warrant. The Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee prior to Town Meeting have voted and made recommendations on the budget. The moderator will read each budget line item. If a voter wants to debate an item, he or she calls out "Hold" to the Moderator. The Moderator will recognize the Town Meeting Member for debate on the line item. An amendment may be made and voted upon. The final vote on the budget of Town Meeting will be on the recommendation of the Finance Committee as amended. For more information please call 508-495-7360.

13. Can an article be reconsidered?

Reconsideration is allowed at any time during the meeting if the article does not involve the appropriation of money. If the article involves the appropriation of money, notice of reconsideration must be given within 30 minutes of the vote on the article. Reconsideration may then be allowed at any future time. Reconsideration will only be allowed if new information not available at the time of the original debate is being brought forward. For more information please call 508-495-7360.

14. Who are the people on stage at Town Meeting?

The Moderator - The Moderator presides over and conducts all sessions of the Town Meeting, establishes procedures, and declares all votes.

-Town Clerk - The Town Clerk shall serve as Clerk of the Town Meeting, keeps a detailed journal of all Town Meeting procedures and records all votes.

-Town Counsel - The Town Counsel provides legal advice to Town Meeting.

-Board of Selectmen - The Board of Selectmen prepares the warrant for Town Meeting, makes recommendations and is available to advise Town Meeting on articles of the warrant.

-Town Manager - The Town Manager is the Chief Operating Officer who prepares and submits the budget to the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee. He provides advice to Town Meeting relating to the budget and to other articles on the warrant.

-Assistant Town Manager - The Assistant Town Manager provides advice to Town Meeting and may be called upon to give presentations related to articles on the warrant.

-Administrative Assistant to the Finance Committee - The Administrative Assistant maintains a running total of all appropriations and funding sources of articles that have been voted upon.

-Finance Committee Chairman - The Chairman makes the motion to Town Meeting on all articles where money is being appropriated and is available to provide advice to Town Meeting. The motion is based on the recommendation of the Finance Committee.

-Planning Board Chairman - The Chairman makes the motion to Town Meeting on all articles related to the Zoning By-laws and is available to provide advice to Town Meeting. The motion is based on the recommendation of the Planning Board.

For more information please call 508-495-7360.