Two town meetings were convened this evening in Everett Hall, with residents gathering to debate both annual appropriations and a proposal for a new town charter that could reshape Norwood’s government.
The evening began with a special town meeting, originally scheduled for Village Hall due to a clerical error in the posted warrants. To comply with legal requirements, the meeting was briefly opened in Village Hall and immediately adjourned to Everett Hall.
The special meeting focused on a warrant article calling for the formation of a five-member committee to study and recommend a new charter. The proposal, backed by several of Norwood’s largest taxpayers, aimed to move the town toward a city-style government with improved administrative structure and facilities.
Among the ideas tied to the charter discussion was the construction of a new town hall, offering better quarters for municipal officials.
Following the special session, the adjourned annual town meeting resumed, with several items expected to spark debate:
- A proposed $2,200 increase in the school budget, primarily for teacher salaries
- A motion to fund free band concerts, previously rejected by voters but privately funded last year
- Repairs to the town lockup
- Acquisition of automobile fire apparatus
- Review of a new 31-section building code, drafted by a committee including Mil Howard, Frank A. Morrill, and Harold
The evening reflected Norwood’s evolving civic priorities and the community’s growing interest in modernizing its governance.
Source: Boston Globe, April 3, 1911
Compiled by the Norwood Historical Society, with the assistance of Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini.