Town Meeting

Important Upcoming Dates

View the updated Fiscal Year 2024 Plymouth Government & Election Calendar (PDF)

Fall Annual 2023 Town Meeting - Saturday, October 21, 2023

Spring Annual & Special Town Meeting - Saturday, April 6, 2024

  • Warrant Opens for Annual Town Meeting: Tuesday, October 31, 2023
  • Warrant Closes for Annual Town Meeting: Wednesday, December 20, 2023, at 4:00 p.m.
  • Warrant Opens for Special Town Meeting: Tuesday, January 2, 2024
  • Warrant Closes for Special Town Meeting: Friday, February 2, 2024, at 12:00 p.m.

Are you planning to Submit an Article? Make sure you are aware of the procedure and the deadlines.

Overview

Town Meeting is Plymouth's Legislative arm of government. It consists of 162 elected Town Meeting members. In addition, the Town Moderator, who presides over Town Meetings does not vote, unless in the instance of a tie. The 162 are elected by precinct, with 9 members elected from each of the Town’s 18 precincts. Town Meeting Members are elected for staggered three-year terms so that 3 members are elected from each precinct each year in the May Annual Town Election.

Running for Town Meeting

As described in the Town Meeting Members Handbook (PDF) Elections for Town Meeting Members are held each May with at least one-third (1/3) of all positions open to candidates. Candidates for Town Meetings can pick up nomination papers at the Town Clerk’s Office during business hours. Town Meeting Member nomination papers require 10 certified signatures of registered voters from the precinct from which the candidate is running.

Responsibilities

Town Meeting is responsible for passing a balanced Annual Town Budget and enacts all Town By-laws. The Representative Town Meeting shall meet at least twice (2) in each calendar year.

  • The first such meeting, the Spring Annual Representative town meeting, shall be convened during the period of March through April, at a time fixed by by-law. The Spring Annual Representative Town Meeting shall be concerned primarily with the determination of all matters that concern raising, appropriating, or transferring funds, including, but not limited to the adoption of an annual operating budget covering all town agencies. 
  • The second such meeting shall be held during the last four calendar months, at a time fixed by by-law. 

The Town Meeting Members Handbook (PDF) has more information regarding the procedures of the Town Meetings.

Hybrid Town Meetings

In April 2023, the Town of Plymouth was the first Town in New England to hold a hybrid Representative Town Meeting. In the future, Town Meeting members may have the option to participate in person using an electronic voting clicker to take actions or remotely using telecast through Zoom Webinar videoconferencing platform for their deliberations and the use of V-Voter to take actions remotely.