The Town of North Brookfield voted to authorize the Board of Selectmen to petition the Massachusetts General Court for a special law allowing the town to post legal notices on a dedicated page of the town website in place of paid publication in a local newspaper.

Town Clerk Tara Hayes said the change would produce savings: "Right now, the town has to spend money for legal notices ... We can now save money ... There's going to be a special page on our website for legal notices, rather than in the paper," she told voters. She added that abutters to affected properties would still receive mailed notices for matters such as public hearings on road work.

Residents asked how the change would affect people without internet access. Clerk Hayes said abutters would continue to get mailed notices when required, and that the proposal follows a model other Massachusetts towns have used under a special legislative authorization. Officials estimated the town currently spends on the order of about $1,000 per year on legal notices, with individual poll-hearing notices previously costing about $164 in the local paper, figures read aloud during the meeting.

Voters approved the motion authorizing the Board of Selectmen to petition the legislature for the special act.