Democracy is the lifeblood of Truro’s civic life. Participatory democracy – active engagement beyond representation – is our inheritance, our goal, and our legacy.
Active engagement in the community by its residents is essential to life in our small town. In Truro, we have many ways of keeping our democracy alive, vibrant, and responsive.
Voters Are the Legislature of Truro
Town Meeting is Participatory Democracy 101 in Truro.
A traditional New England institution, Town Meeting is participatory democracy in its most direct form. In this form of government, a gift of John Adams to towns like Truro, voters of a community come together to legislate policy and budgets for local government to implement. In other words, we are the legislature. In this way, our government is not representative, it is participatory.
Voters weigh in on budget, financial issues, zoning bylaws, Town operations, Town buildings, construction and infrastructure, special projects, and much more. Town Meeting is the largest and most public type of civic engagement, but it is not the only type of engagement for Truro citizens, whether full or part-time resident taxpayers.
Elections give Truro voters the ultimate voice and choice over Town government.
Many Boards and Committees are elected – the Selectboard is just one of these elected bodies. Registered voters may run for office and all may vote for candidates of their choice. Who serves us in these roles determines much of our community life in Truro.
Citizens Can Play a Defining Role in All Aspects of Truro Life.
Truro’s democracy requires and respects the involvement of citizens in many ways, both inside and outside the structures of town government. Here are a few ways this happens:
Town Committees and Boards – Throughout the year many citizens work on town boards and committees to improve life in Truro now and in the future. They balance a myriad of needs and interest, wrestle with difficult questions such as how to diversity housing while protecting our environment. Others participate individually and collectively by learning about the issues and sharing their knowledge and opinions on social media, in the newspapers and over coffee.
Public Meeting and Hearings – The Town holds public meetings on every Town matter. Many of these are public hearings, where citizens are invited and encouraged to express their views on the topic of the hearing. Every public meeting by law must start with a Public Commentssection, where members of the public may have 2-3 minutes to ask that Board or Committee to consider a new topic or pressing matter to be on a future agenda at the next possible public meeting.
Community Organizations + Conversations– Truro has many groups that focus on specific issues – cultural and historic life, taxpayer concerns, Town policies, safe water, environmental issues business development and more. Increasingly, Facebook groups and other social media are ongoing and informal Town Forums where community members raise, hash out, and sometime work out important issues affecting us in Town.
The Truro Way – Particpation
Truro is a small town with big challenges. It is through an active and engaged populace that we determine our best ways forward. In Truro we choose to be engaged in civic life. In the messy business of making decision that impact Truro now and in the future. We are not here to sit back and passively leave all the decisions to others. While that would be the easy way and require less work from our citizens it is not the Truro way.
