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Select Board sets special-town-meeting warrant; review committee objects to omissions on recall bylaw language
Summary
The board reviewed and set the Feb. 9, 2026 special town meeting warrant, accepted omnibus motions for groups of articles, and approved an updated recall bylaw (Article 54) despite objections from the review committee that several committee recommendations were not reflected in the warrant.
At its Jan. 7 meeting the Danvers Select Board reviewed the draft warrant for the Feb. 9 special town meeting and accepted omnibus motions to present groups of articles to town meeting. The warrant includes proposed changes to the Town Meeting Act and Town Manager Act and an updated Article 54 (recall bylaw).
A Review Committee member (Sally Calhoun) and other committee participants said the draft warrant circulated two days earlier differed from recommendations the committee produced and argued the committee's report was not included in materials to town meeting. "They basically, ignore[d] most of the recommendations that the committee made," the committee speaker said on the record.
Board members and staff said the committee's recommendations had been available since June and that the select board sets the warrant; the manager and town counsel reviewed and updated language, and the board agreed to include a link to the committee's report in materials sent to town meeting members.
The board discussed Article 54 in detail; a select member summarized the changes in the updated version circulated that evening, saying the article now identifies "any holder of a town-wide elected office" as subject to recall petitions and includes language excluding an elected official's ordinary votes (except conflict-of-interest violations) as grounds for recall. Following discussion the board voted to accept the amended Article 54 for the warrant. One board member said they would vote against the article at town meeting.
The board noted the finance committee will hold a public hearing on the warrant on Jan. 15 and that town meeting members will receive the final warrant and finance committee recommendations by email and mail before the meeting. The board also encouraged public attendance at the finance committee hearing and said the town moderator will hold office hours Feb. 5 to explain procedure to town meeting members.
The board asked staff to include a cover letter and a link to the Review Committee report with the packet to ensure town meeting members have the committee's work and context before town meeting.
Next steps: finance-committee hearing Jan. 15; warrant packet distribution and moderator office hours ahead of the Feb. 9 special town meeting.
