Special Town Meetings are Special

Special Town meetings are held for special issues that require action before the next Annual Town Meeting.

Since 2000, Wenham has had 14 special town meetings, some for single-issue votes on the renovations of the Town Hall or school budgets. Others combined a few smaller issues to make a meeting worthy agenda. Indeed this fall, the War Memorial design or a few other issues may need a Special Town Meeting vote. 

While Special Town Meetings on Saturdays is the hot new thing in Hamilton, Wenham has the freedom to choose the best day and month to fit its needs.  Although Hamilton struggled in the past to make a quorum on a weeknight, Wenham voters have always turned-out for their civic duty on weeknights. All of the special town meetings in the previous decade were held on weeknights. Half of the meetings had over 200 people in attendance, far exceeding the quorum threshold for even an Annual Town Meeting.

The Wenham Board of Selectmen can call a Special Town Meeting anytime important issues are ready for a vote. Wenham should not feel pressured by Hamilton’s timetable to hold a special town meeting on the third Saturday in October.