§ 119 — District meetings; qualifications

Section 119. Said districts may hold the meeting for the election of officers and the business meeting on the same day, or they may hold the election and the business meeting on different days. The election and business meeting may be held in the evening; provided, that the polls shall be kept open for the election of officers at least two hours. Annual district meetings shall be held in February, March, April or May. Meetings may be adjourned from time to time for the consideration of any articles in the warrant, except an article calling for the election of district officers.Every district meeting, except as otherwise provided by special law, shall be called in pursuance of a warrant under the hands of the prudential committee, if any, otherwise the commissioners, notice of which shall be given seven days at least before such meeting. The warrant shall be directed to a constable of the town, or to some other person, who shall forthwith give notice of such meeting in the manner prescribed by the by-laws, or, if there are no by-laws, by vote of the district, or by posting in two or more public places or advertising in a newspaper published in the town in which the district is located, if any, otherwise in a newspaper published in the county. The warrant for all district meetings shall state the time and place of holding the meeting and the subjects to be acted upon thereat. The prudential committee, if any, otherwise the commissioners, shall insert in the warrant for the annual meeting all subjects the insertion of which shall be requested of them in writing by ten or more registered voters of the town residing in the territory comprising the district and in the warrant of every special district meeting all subjects the insertion of which shall be requested of them in writing by fifty registered voters or by ten per cent of the total number of the registered voters of the town residing within the territory comprising the district. The prudential committee, if any, otherwise the commissioners, shall call a special district meeting upon request in writing of one hundred registered voters or twenty per cent of the total number of registered voters of the town residing within the territory comprising the district, such meetings to be held not later than thirty days after the receipt of such request, and shall insert in the warrant therefor all subjects the insertion of which shall be requested by said petition. No action shall be valid unless the subject matter thereof is contained in the warrant. Two or more distinct district meetings for distinct purposes may be called by the same warrant. At every meeting a moderator shall be chosen by ballot, unless the district has voted to elect a moderator for a term as provided by section fourteen of chapter thirty-nine. The moderator shall have the powers of the moderator of the town meeting.