Rockport mulls eliminating annual meeting

ROCKPORT – It has been hailed as a rare, centuries-old vestige of pure democracy, handed down by New England’s early settlers.

It’s also poorly attended.

The town’s Select Board is considering eliminating the annual town meeting in June in favor of approving the town budget and other articles at the ballot booth.

A public hearing on the matter is scheduled for the Select Board’s next regular meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 10, at the Rockport Opera House.

If the board decides to consider the idea of eliminating the town meeting, a nonbinding referendum probably would be scheduled for the Nov. 6 election, Town Manager Bob Peabody said Wednesday.

Peabody said the idea came out of the annual work session that follows the election of new board members.

Board members noted the disparity between those voting at the annual town election, this year held on June 12, and the annual town meeting held the next evening, this year on June 13.

“You have fewer and fewer people voting on one of the important parts of the meeting, which is the budget,” Peabody said.

Technically, the ballot election and evening meeting are both parts of the annual town meeting, Town Clerk Linda Greenlaw said. Most people refer to the evening gathering as the town meeting.

Greenlaw said this year, 372 people voted – 13.5 percent of registered voters – in the ballot portion on June 12, and 58 attended the meeting. Of the 58 at the meeting, she said, just 31 were registered voters, not counting town administrators and board members.

In 2006, 635 voted at the polls, and 37 registered voters attended the meeting.

The town puts ordinance amendments, bond issues, land sales or purchases and other such questions on the ballot. The annual town budget, department by department, is put before voters at the meeting portion, along with various housekeeping items.

Peabody said the board has not yet stated its view on the proposal.

“I’m sure there’s varying opinions,” he said.

If residents support the change in the nonbinding referendum, Peabody said, the town has been told by its attorney that the board can eliminate the town meeting and put the articles on the ballot without getting voter approval.