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Select Board backs Home Rule Petition to let Concord pursue remote town-meeting participation
Summary
The board voted to sponsor a warrant article asking the state legislature to permit Concord to authorize remote participation at town meeting; the move begins the multi-step process of seeking state approval.
The Concord Select Board voted Jan. 27 to sponsor a warrant article that would ask the state legislature to enact a Home Rule Petition permitting remote participation in town meeting.
The Town Meeting Study Committee, represented at the meeting by Eric Moore, told the board the petition is a first step in a longer process. If the legislature approves a town-specific Home Rule Petition, town meeting would then decide whether to adopt remote participation rules; that would allow residents who cannot be physically present to participate in debates and votes in future sessions with state authorization.
Eric Moore, representing the Town Meeting Study Committee, summarized the sequence: a Home Rule Petition must be filed with the legislature, receive state approval, and then be implemented locally if town meeting so directs. He said the committee’s public survey and prior outreach indicated strong community interest in broader participation.
Board members asked about experience in other communities. Members noted experiences in towns that previously pursued similar petitions and cautioned that legislative approval can take time. The board approved the motion to sponsor the warrant article by voice vote. Staff will work with the town’s legislative delegation and the petition’s proponents on next steps and scheduling.
