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Sudbury will have two town meetings this May: Annual Town Meeting that begins May 4 and a Special Town Meeting May 20. Town meeting is the legislative body of Sudbury, and the registered voters who attend are the legislators. Town meeting votes on bylaws, spending (including budgets and borrowing), resolutions, and more.
This year’s Annual Town Meeting begins Monday, May 4, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, 390 Lincoln Road. The meeting is likely to continue Tuesday, May 5, and may continue Wednesday, May 6, and Monday, May 11, if necessary.
You must be present at town meeting to vote. There is no remote or absentee voting.
In addition to the Annual Town Meeting, this May Sudbury will also hold a Special Town Meeting, called in response to a citizen petition. That Special Town Meeting will be held Wednesday, May 20. The deadline to submit warrant articles for that meeting is April 21.
Sudbury has an “open” town meeting, which means that all Sudbury registered voters are eligible to vote. The deadline to register to vote before Annual Town Meeting is Friday, April 24, at 5 p.m. Check your voter registration status or register to vote here.
The Annual Town Meeting warrant lists the basic rules and procedures for conducting the meeting and provides information about each of the articles – including sponsors, what the article would do, the vote count required to pass the article, and whether the article is supported by the Select Board and Finance Committee. It includes a finance section with budget information, estimated tax impact of warrant articles, historical finance data, and a glossary of budget terms.
Every household in Sudbury will be mailed a paper copy of the warrant, and a digital copy is available here. Review the information in the warrant carefully prior to the meeting and make a note of any questions or comments. The sponsor of each article will make a presentation and take questions and comments from the voters.
Information on accessibility and available accommodations is available in the warrant on pages v and vi. The town states: “Persons requiring an accommodation in order to attend Town Meeting are urged to contact the Sudbury Senior Center at 978-443-3055 or [email protected] as soon as possible and at the latest by Monday, April 27, at 4 p.m.”
Van transportation is available for qualified voters, but registration is required. According to the town website: “The Sudbury Connection van service, through the Sudbury Senior Center and MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA), will provide free accessible transportation to and from Town Meeting. If you are a registered rider, please reserve a ride to Sudbury Town Meeting by Monday, April 27 at 4:00 PM by calling 508-820-4650. If you are not registered as a rider, please contact the Sudbury Senior Center to register at 978-443-3055 and complete an application by Monday, April 27 at 4:00 PM. Please contact the Senior Center at 978-443-3055 or [email protected] with any questions.”
For all other voters, parking is available in the high school parking lot. Enter the lot through the driveway on Lincoln Road east of the high school building. Handicapped parking spaces are available in the lot at the front of the school building and in the main parking lot.
There will be designated seating in the front of the auditorium for those with hearing or vision impairment, and closed captioning screens are available. Those who wish to use a phone or other device to view the captions may do so at this link. Seating for those with mobility impairments is available at the rear of the auditorium.
Detailed information on the availability and use of assisted listening services is included in the warrant, on p. vi.
You can learn more about town meetings in the Citizen’s Guide to Town Meeting and here.
