Representative Town Meeting is Wellesley’s legislative branch, and consists of 240 members representative form of government, embodied in a 240-member unit consisting of 30 elected members from each precinct.
Wellesley holds an Annual Town Meeting each spring, and often a Special Town Meeting in the fall. These meetings typically take several days, sometimes weeks, to complete.
Town Meeting members vote on motions under articles on subjects ranging from financial to zoning and everything in between. Most are brought to Town Meeting from town bodies, such as the Select Board or Planning Board, though others are introduced by individuals (these are called citizen petitions and often tackle touchy topics, such as banning fur products).
Before Town Meeting is held, Wellesley’s appointed Advisory Committee vets proposed articles, and votes on its recommendations, which can be favorable or unfavorable. Articles can also be referred back to proponents.
An elected moderator presides over Town Meeting, which traditionally has been held in person, though went online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
