As rumblings grow about altering our form of government, a critical test is brewing at our upcoming Town Meeting: defending our legislative authority against a trend of citizen petitions being ruled out of order.
Town Meeting is the supreme legislative authority. Under our charter and New England governance, we retain the ultimate right to determine our business. When administrative hurdles block valid voter initiatives, Town Meeting possesses the safeguard to overrule the moderator by a two-thirds vote.
For newer members, understanding protocol is vital:
- In-House Counsel: Serves an advisory function to help guide a warrant article, not as a veto gate.
- The Moderator: Moderates the meeting; they are not empowered to unilaterally block what the body considers.
- The Attorney General’s Office: This is the proper constitutional channel. Any article approved by Town Meeting goes to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office, which holds the statutory authority to review, void unlawful sections, or send provisions back. That transparent review is the correct channel, not administrative gatekeeping.
When I served in Town Meeting on the North Shore, we had an old saying: I may need your support on this issue today, but tomorrow you may need me on your issue.
Ultimately, if Town Meeting members decide to vote against these articles on their merits, that is entirely within their purview. But we must defend the right for these articles to see the light of day.
We are fighting to preserve direct local democracy. Let’s show up prepared: debate them, vote on them, and let the Attorney General review them. That is the proper channel, keeping ultimate authority right where it belongs: on the floor, in the hands of the people.
– Al DiNardo
DiNardo is a Town Meeting member representing Precinct 17.