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Committee chair objects to Select Board removing warrant articles after committee review
Summary
Chair John Rapa and committee members told staff they oppose any precedent for the Select Board to unilaterally remove warrant articles that have been through committee review, arguing Town Meeting should decide; staff will finalize report edits and publish updates before Town Meeting.
At the joint meeting the chair used an on‑the‑record statement to object to any Select Board practice of removing warrant articles after they have been submitted and reviewed by committee staff and other recommending bodies. Chair John Rapa said he did not believe it would be appropriate for the Select Board to pull proposed warrant articles that had followed the established process, and he urged that town meeting, as the legislative body, be allowed to decide on the final disposition of articles.
Other members echoed the concern, arguing that if an article has been vetted by department heads, staff and committees, a last‑minute removal by the Select Board undermines the review process and denies Town Meeting the chance to vote. Committee members said the committee would not remove items it had deliberated on; they asked members to send final edits to staff by Friday so a revised report could be posted ahead of Town Meeting. The committee then voted to authorize the chair to work with the finance director on typographical and final edits and to circulate a final report update.
