Registration closed Saturday night with 542 new voters added to the rolls over the preceding week, bringing Norwood’s total registered voters to 13,436.
Between July 1 and August 1, only 130 new registrations had been recorded, and until recently, it appeared that newly passed legislation raising the town meeting membership limit to 300 would not be triggered this year.
However, following an intensive registration drive spearheaded by the Democratic Town Committee, the surge in new voters successfully pushed the tally high enough to warrant a town meeting membership of 201 plus five members at large, surpassing the previous 190 representatives.
Town Clerk Bartley Connolly noted that it is unfortunate redistricting must occur in September, predicting that even greater numbers would register as fall state and national elections approach. State law mandates redistricting during September, and population shifts had previously brought state laws and town bylaws into conflict—the former state ceiling was 200, while town bylaws required one representative for every 1.5 percent of voters, calling for a larger assembly. Legislation introduced by Rep. William Butters of Norwood instructed selectmen to petition the legislature to raise the cap.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
More Town Meeting Stories
-
School Committee Custodial Payroll Test Awaits Town Counsel Ruling Amid Wage Dispute-August 22, 1967
Town Accountant Bartley W. Connolly deferred action on school custodial payrolls containing disputed wage increases, turning to Town Counsel Walter J. Gotovich for a ruling amid a fiscal autonomy standoff.
-
542 New Voter Registrations Ensure Town Meeting Redistricting Plan for September-August 16, 1966
Driven by a Democratic Town Committee registration push, 542 new voters brought Norwood’s total to 13,436, triggering September town meeting redistricting for a 201-member assembly.
-
Norwood Meeting Bill Passes-July 27, 1966
The Massachusetts Legislature passed a bill spearheaded by Rep. William Butters to expand Norwood town meeting membership from 200 to 300.
-
Skating Rink Proposal Going to Town Meeting-This Day in Norwood History-January 31, 1963
The Board of Selectmen Tuesday in a meeting with the Skating Rink Study Committee, initiated steps aimed at preparing an article for the next Special Town Meeting. It is expected that the Town will be asked to appropriate funds for construction of the proposed rink at the Father McAleer playground. The estimated construction cost in…
-
What a Conservation Commission Would Mean-This Day in Norwood History-January 25, 1962
Article 9 of tonight’s Special Town Meeting is to see if the town will vote to accept the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40, Section 8C, which authorizes the town to establish a Conservation Commission for the promotion and development of the natural resources and for the protection of watershed resources of the town.…
-
Home Rule vs. The State House-May 1, 1961
The Battle Over Norwood’s Blue Line Salaries The core principle of home rule—the right of a municipality to govern itself without state interference—is not just an abstract concept; it is the battlefield upon which the daily operations of a town are often fought. This fundamental tension was thrust into sharp relief on [Month] [Day], 1994,…
-
Petition For Swimming Pool At Fr McAleer’s- March 13, 1959
Last Minute Effort May Get Approval For some 18 years there has been talk of a swimming pool at Fr. McAleer Playground, but for one reason or another it never has become a reality. An “11th hour” effort on the part of a small group of residents, however, along with nearly 1000 other interested townspeople…
-
Mrs. Esther J. Deeb Honored For Services to Norwood Church-December 6, 1956
Mrs. Esther J. Deeb, Caravan correspondent in Norwood. Mass., was given a testimonial banquet Sunday evening November 4 by parishioners of St. George’s Syrian Orthodox Church of Norwood, in recognition of her long and outstanding leadership and service to the church. The banquet, attended by over 200 people, was held at Holman Hall in Norwood,…
-
Ask Study Of Connecting Highway In South Norwood-This Day in Norwood History-January 27, 1949
Town Meeting Article To Request Committee Be Named By Moderator The construction of a South Norwood highway which would cut from Walpole Street into Washington Street and thence over to the Providence Highway, a project which has been under discussion for the past ten years and in 1938 came before two special town meetings will…
-
Eight Districts Recommended Under New Representative Government-This Day in Norwood History-June 4, 1948
Next Step Is Submitting Plan To Special Town Meeting For Action Committee Recommends Eight Districts for Norwood’s New Limited Town Government A major step toward establishing Norwood’s new limited town government was taken last week when Ambrose J. Kelly, speaking on behalf of the Temporary Committee on Limited Town Government, presented a detailed set of…
Discover more from Norwood Historical Society
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.