Each year at Burlington’s local election, the first office on the ballot is the Town Moderator. But what’s a Moderator? The average resident doesn’t have much, if any, contact with their town’s moderator, and the ballot, with a list of names and no explanation, is no help.
Burlington and other towns in Massachusetts operate under a Town Meeting system of government. That means a group of citizens get together periodically to vote on laws and budgets that govern the town. In order for those meetings to run effectively, a Moderator is elected. In Burlington, the term of a Moderator is one year and they are elected by the voters at large on the town election. Some towns have established a three-year term foro their Moderator; in others, the Moderator is selected at each Town Meeting.
The Moderator’s job is to follow Robert’s Rules of Order to facilitate an efficient and effective meeting that includes all Town Meeting Members who want to participate. The Moderator leads the body through the Warrant, calling for discussion and vote and responding to questions from the body. When a roll call vote is necessary, the Moderator conducts that vote.
In addition to conducting Town Meeting, the Town Moderator is responsible for appointing a number of committees that are responsible for reviewing Warrant Articles prior to Town Meeting and casting advisory votes that Town Meeting Members will consider during the discussion and voting. Here’s a full list of these committees and a description of what they do.
And, next time you’re at a local election and stuck on the first question, remember what you read here and make an informed decision!
