Hatfield’s Annual Town Meeting is again fast approaching. Over the past few years, attendance has been stable. It only takes 75 registered voters to have a quorum and thereby takes usually half of that total — or 38 people — to pass through most any issue or spending article.
The town budget and most all spending plans (articles) for the year ahead are considered on town floor on this one night, not at the ballot box on election day. There are a lot of small department meetings during the year to get to this annual meeting and a lot of preparation to finally present this to all of us for a final yea or nay vote.
Certainly some of us have plans or schedules that will not permit attendance. However, out of almost 3,000 residents, we should always do better than 75. Most years, we are finished before 10 p.m. This is your money and for most of us, a very big part of our household budget. Please plan on attending on Tuesday, May 10, at the Smith Academy High School.
Joe Lavallee
Hatfield
The author is town moderator in Hatfield.