Article 57: To see if the Town will vote to amend Section 1-80-050 of the Town Code of the Town of Northborough by striking the existing first sentence and inserting in place thereof the following:
“Unless otherwise ordered by the Moderator, no person whose name is not on the list of registered voters or who is not a department head of the Town shall be admitted to the hall where the Meeting is being held or shall be allowed to address the Meeting.”
or take any other action relative thereto.
Explanation: This article amends the Town Code to clarify who may be admitted to and address Town Meeting. The proposed change specifies that, unless otherwise permitted by the Moderator, only registered voters and Town department heads may be present in the meeting hall or speak at Town Meeting. This amendment is intended to reinforce established Town Meeting practices, ensure orderly proceedings, and clarify the Moderator’s authority to allow exceptions when appropriate.
Votes Needed to Pass: Majority
Current text of Section 1-80-050: Unless otherwise ordered by the Moderator or by a majority vote of the Meeting, no person whose name is not on the list of registered voters shall be admitted to the hall where the Meeting is being held or shall be allowed to address the Meeting. This provision shall be enforced with the use of the checklist, and the Moderator shall determine the bounds of the hall. In no event shall a person who is not a registered voter vote at a Meeting.