NAHANT — Registered voters only have a few weeks left to submit citizen petitions for the Annual Town Meeting; the deadline is Jan. 31, according to the Town Clerk Diane Dunfee.
Town meeting is scheduled for May 16 and is an annual open forum where registered voters of the town come together to vote on bylaws and budgets and to approve or reject major projects, Dunfee said.
To participate in Town Meeting, a person must be a registered voter, she said. The last day to register to vote in Nahant is May 6.
“If you’re interested, and you have things that are important to you in town, this is the forum for you to vote and get involved,” Dunfee said.
Residents can submit a citizens’ petition to be added to the meeting’s agenda, known as a Town Meeting Warrant, which is a drafted proposal for any change they would like to see in town. This can include by-law or charter changes, as well as any issue that may concern the town, according to Town Administrator Alison Nieto.
To submit a citizens’ petition, a registered voter must draft an article exactly as they want it to appear on the meeting’s warrant. After a petition is written, it must be signed by ten registered voters, according to Dunfee.
She said she also recommends getting more than ten signatures, should one be considered invalid, and having the petition reviewed by town counsel or a lawyer.
Once a petition is submitted, it is reviewed by the appropriate town board or office that the issue concerns, the Board of Selectmen, and the town counsel, Dunfee said.
All valid petitions are put onto the annual warrant, according to Dunfee.
Citizens’ Petition forms can be obtained in the town clerk’s office or online at www.nahant.org.
To participate in Town Meeting, in-person attendance is required, according to Dunfee.
“Some people will call and ask if they can do an absentee vote at Town Meeting, and the answer to that is no, and that is because it’s a work in progress, and people can amend an article on the floor,” she said.
At Town Meeting, various boards and public officials are in attendance, including the town administrator, town clerk, public safety chiefs, Finance Committee, and the Board of Selectmen.
Town Meeting is moderated by an elected official who states each article, allows citizens to speak, and can end the conversation, according to Nieto.
Nahant’s town moderator is Peter Barba, she said.
Nieto added that Town Meeting is the “only form in which a citizen is able to do these types of things and have their voice heard.
“Residents can really be involved in the process. They can comment on whatever they want. Leading up to Town Meeting, the Finance Committee and the Board of Selectmen have public meetings to discuss a lot of the warrant articles, and the public is encouraged to attend those to be involved in the discussion,” she said.
