Town Government
Saugus Town Meeting
Saugus does not vote on everything in one giant room. It uses a Representative Town Meeting: instead of every resident debating every article, the voters of each precinct elect neighbors to do it for them. Each of the town’s ten precincts sends five members, fifty in all, and together they are the body that actually holds the power of the purse. Town Meeting votes the budget, writes the bylaws and zoning rules, and signs off on the big money.
- Holds the purse by adopting the town’s annual operating budget.
- Makes the rules by adopting and amending town bylaws and zoning.
- Decides big questions, borrowing, land, and major appropriations.
How Town Meeting Is Organized
Fifty Town Meeting Members, five from each of the ten precincts, are elected at the town election every two years. A Town Moderator runs the floor, keeping debate orderly and calling the votes. That job belongs to Stephen Doherty, a Town Meeting Member from Precinct 4 who has moderated since 2013.
- Members: 50 total, 5 elected from each of 10 precincts.
- Moderator: Stephen Doherty (Precinct 4), presiding officer.
- Annual Town Meeting: convenes the first Monday in May.
- Special Town Meetings: called by the Board of Selectmen as needed.
The Warrant & How to Participate
Every Town Meeting runs off a list called the “warrant,” and each item on it is an “article.” Warrants are posted at the polling places, mailed to Town Meeting Members and town boards, and kept at the Town Clerk’s Office, so you can read what is coming before a single vote is cast.
- Find your representatives: look up your precinct and its five Town Meeting Members at the Town Clerk’s Office or saugus-ma.gov.
- Contact them before a vote. They are your neighbors and your voice on the floor.
- Petition an article: any resident can put an article on the warrant with ten registered-voter signatures (for a financial or zoning article).
- Run for a seat: Town Meeting Members are elected at the November town election in odd years.
Public hearings and meetings are where residents actually shape what the town does.