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Resident asks Hope Select Board to ask voters about switching Annual Town Meeting to secret‑ballot referendum
Summary
Resident Charlene Mazzeo asked the Select Board to place a nonbinding referendum on the next election asking whether Hope should change its Annual Open Town Meeting voting to a secret‑ballot referendum; the board asked the Town Administrator to draft a sample ballot question for review after discussion and disagreement.
Charlene Mazzeo asked the Select Board to submit a nonbinding referendum question to Hope voters asking whether the town should change its Annual Open Town Meeting voting from an in‑person open town meeting to a referendum (secret ballot) format at the polls. She offered to volunteer to facilitate the effort and provided a written statement to the board.
In a written statement she said, "I am requesting that the select board put forth a non-binding referendum question for Hope voters at the next election at the polls." Board members discussed whether the question should be binding or nonbinding, whether it should wait until November, the risk that losing open town meeting removes the ability to make amendments during meeting, and how to increase voter participation and knowledge. The board instructed the Town Administrator to draft a sample ballot question for review. Charlene expressed disappointment at the outcome and remained adamant; the Select Board Chair then called for the meeting to be adjourned.
