Town Meeting Rules of Order

HISTORY: Adopted by the Annual Town Meeting of the Town of Pelham 1916. Amendments noted where applicable.] 

§ 170-1. Powers of Moderator.

The Moderator shall preserve decorum and order, may speak on points of order in preference to others and shall decide all questions of order. 

§ 170-2. Determination of question by yeas and nays.

When any voter shall require a question to be determined by yeas and nays, the Moderator shall take the sense of the Meeting in that manner, provided that 1/3 of the voters present are in favor of it. 

§ 170-3. Order of questions.

The Moderator shall propound all questions in the order in which they are moved, unless the subsequent motion be previous in its nature, except that, in naming sums and fixing times, the largest sum and longest time shall be first. 

§ 170-4. Precedence of motions. 

When a question is under debate, the Moderator shall receive no question but to adjourn, to lay on the table, for the previous question, to postpone to an hour certain, to amend or postpone indefinitely, which several motions shall have precedence in the order in which they stand arranged. 

§ 170-5. Naming of person to speak first.

When two or more persons happen to rise at once, the Moderator shall name the one who shall speak first. 

§ 170-6. Speaking time limit.

No voter shall speak for more than seven minutes at any one time nor more than once on the same question without first obtaining leave of the Meeting. 

§ 170-7. Appointment of committees.

All committees shall be appointed and announced by the Moderator unless otherwise especially directed by the Meeting. 

§ 170-8. Consideration of motions.

When any voter shall make a motion, and such a motion shall be seconded by another, the same shall be received and considered by the Meeting and not otherwise. 

§ 170-9. Reconsideration of motions.

When a vote has been passed, it shall be in order for any one of the majority to move for a reconsideration thereof, and when a motion of reconsideration is decided, that decision shall not be reconsidered. 

§ 170-10. Interruption of speakers.

No one shall be allowed to stand up to the interruption of another when anyone is speaking or pass unnecessarily between the Moderator and person speaking. 

§ 170-11. Reducing motions to writing.

Every motion shall be reduced to writing if the Moderator desires it. 

§ 170-12. Amendments to motions or propositions. 

No motion or proposition of a subject different from that under consideration shall be admitted under color of amendment. 

§ 170-13. Doubted votes.

When a vote is doubted, the voters for or against the question, when called on by the Moderator, shall rise and stand uncovered until they shall be counted. 

§ 170-14. Addressing of Moderator.

Individuals while speaking shall stand uncovered and address the Moderator.