Our Town's government is in the form of an open town meeting, a direct democracy, in which registered voters come together in person to be heard, to debate, and to vote on policy decisions affecting the Town. An information sheet on voting with clickers can be found here.
Shutesbury's Annual Town Meeting is to be held on the second Saturday in May, and the election of Town officials is held at that time. Absentee voting is allowed in electing Town officials. The 2026 Annual Town Meeting will take place on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at the Shutesbury Elementary School.
The Annual Town Meeting has three chief functions:
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to appropriate money for operational costs
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to act on policies and bylaws brought forth by committees or boards
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to hear reports from Town officials, committees, boards, and departments