Town Meeting Rules & Procedures
Weston’s Town Meeting, like all Vermont Town Meetings, is run under Robert’s Rules of Order, except where Vermont Law takes precedence. Here are some key points:
Unless there is a suspension of the rules, only voters of the Town of Weston may speak during the meeting and, of course, only Weston voters may vote.
All motions, remarks and discussion should be directed to the Moderator. After you are recognized, please stand up and give your name so that the Clerk can record your comments or motion in the minutes.
After you’ve spoken once about an Article, you won’t be recognized for a second time during the discussion about that subject until all others who wish to speak on the issue for the first time have spoken.
An Article must be moved, seconded and then restated by the Moderator before it is properly under consideration and debate can begin.
An Article may be amended, and an amendment may be amended once. Amendments to Articles must be reasonably related to the original proposal. If the proposed amendment would make such a drastic change to the Article that it would amount to an Article that had not been warned, the amendment will be ruled out of order. This is because State law prohibits consideration of Articles that have not been warned. This also means that binding action may not be taken under the “other business” part of the Warning.
A “division of the house” is a standing vote. A division can be requested by any one voter either before or after a voice vote. State law provides that seven voters may ask for a paper ballot either before or after a voice vote or a division of the house.
Debate may be cut off by a motion to Call the Question and a two-thirds vote to do so.
An Article may be reconsidered until another Article is under consideration. That means that if an Article has been voted down, a motion can be made to reopen consideration by a person who voted against it. But once the meeting has moved on to another Article, no more action can be taken on the previous Article.
Please don’t be afraid to raise your hand and ask questions if you don’t understand what’s happening. You have the right to challenge any ruling by the Moderator and ask that there be a vote on whether or not to sustain the ruling. Vermont Law is very clear; the Town Meeting belongs to you — the voters.
Wayne Granquist — Moderator