Open Town Meeting

Our town charter states that “all legislative powers of the Town shall be exercised by an open Town Meeting." These meetings are typically held twice a year, the Annual Town Meeting in the spring and the Regular Town Meeting in the fall. Video coverage and recordings are available via Wakefield Community Access TV (WCAT).

April 29, 2024

The Wakefield Town Council has called the Annual Town Meeting for Monday, April 29, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium at the Galvin Middle School, 525 Main Street, and to continue on so many remaining Thursdays and Mondays as will be required for the completion of the business sessions of said Annual Town Meeting. The Town Council will receive all petitions which are addressed to them in writing, and which request the submission of a particular subject matter to the Annual Town Meeting, and which are filed by:

  1. Any elected Town officer including a member of the multiple member body;
  2. Any appointed multiple member body acting by a majority of its Members;
  3. Any ten (10) voters for a Regular or Annual Town Meeting;
  4. Any one hundred (100) voters for a Special Town Meeting; and
  5. Any other person, persons or Town agency as may be authorized by By-law.

All petitions received at the Town Administrator’s office in any of the above ways on or before 12:00 p.m. on Friday, March 1, 2024 will be included in the meeting.

November 18, 2023

Town Meeting took place on November 18, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. in the auditorium at the Galvin Middle School, 525 Main Street. View the Town Meeting book. If you are interested in learning more about Article 8, you can view a recording of the recent infosession hosted by the Environmental Sustainability Committee.

May 15, 2023

View the 19 articles on the meeting’s Warrant and the Annual Appropriations Book for Fiscal Year 2024 that was provided to attendees. Video coverage for May 2023.

Special Town Meeting: Saturday, January 28, 2023

Article 1 was approved at Town Meeting 1,231 to 42. Click here to view the Warrant voters considered. Video coverage for January 2023.

November 19, 2022

Click here to view the Warrant that voters considered. Video coverage for November 2022.

May 16, 2022


View the Warrant and the Annual Appropriations book for Fiscal Year 2023. Video coverage for May 2022.

November 6, 2021

Town Meeting took place on November 6, 2021, at 8:00 a.m. in the High School Field House, 60 Farm Street. Video coverage for November 2021.
 

May 8, 2021

Annual Town Meeting took place on Saturday, May 8, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. in the High School Field House (60 Farm St.). 

 

November 2020

November's Town Meeting took place at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 7, 2020 in the Field House at Wakefield High School. 

June 2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the The Town’s Moderator, William H. Carroll, postponed the Annual Town Meeting until June 20, 2020.

The meeting took place at the Wakefield Memorial High School Field House (60 Farm Street) at 9 a.m. Four of the twenty-eight articles on the Warrant were postponed indefinitely by their sponsors: Article 15, Article 26, Article 27, Article 28. Of the remaining articles, Articles 22, and 25, both concerning bylaw changes, did not pass.

Despite the circumstances, a total of 252 residents voted on Saturday, just 11 voters less than the spring 2019 meeting. In fact, with the exception of that 2019 meeting, the 2020 meeting was the best attended Town Meeting (spring or fall) since spring 2015. We send our gratitude to our Health and Emergency Management directors, the Department of Public Works, School Administration, and WCAT for making this event possible.

November 2019 

Wakefield’s Regular Town Meeting was held on Monday, November 18, 2019. This Report of Appropriated Funds was reviewed and eleven Articles were discussed. Voters did not approve Article 7. Articles 9, 10, and 11 were postponed.

April 2019

This Annual Appropriations booklet was reviewed by residents in April 2019. Twenty-six of the 27 articles presented passed during two evenings: April 29 and May 2. Voters did not approve Article 26.

Town Meeting: April 29, 2019, Evening 1

Evening 2