Make Hybrid Town Meetings Permanent in Belmont

As Belmont’s Town Moderator, my responsibility is not only to preside over Town Meeting, but to help ensure that it remains accessible, representative and resilient. That responsibility is why I have filed a Citizen’s Petition asking Belmont to make hybrid and remote Town Meetings a permanent option.

It is unusual for a Town Moderator to sponsor a Citizen’s Petition. I do not take that lightly. But Town Meeting works best when it reflects the full community it serves. When participation in Town Meeting is limited by work schedules, caregiving responsibilities, health concerns or mobility challenges, our local democracy is diminished.

Hybrid Town Meeting has shown us a better way.

During the pandemic, Belmont—like many Massachusetts communities—was authorized to hold Town Meetings that allowed residents to participate either in person or remotely. The results were striking. At our most recent Special Town Meeting, roughly half of participants joined remotely, taking part in debate via Zoom and voting through a secure mobile application, while others attended in person.

That kind of participation is not theoretical. It is measurable, practical and meaningful.

The problem is that our ability to conduct Town Meetings this way is temporary. The latest state authorization that allows hybrid and remote Town Meetings expires in March 2027 -the latest in a series of votes by the State Legislature to extend the COVID-era policy. Should the legislature fail to extend the hybrid meeting policy again, Belmont could be forced to abandon a system that has demonstrably expanded access and strengthened civic engagement.

The petition I filed—which was certified last week—asks Town Meeting to authorize the Select Board to seek special state legislation that would allow Belmont to hold hybrid and remote Town Meetings on a permanent basis. While the petition applies only to Belmont, its purpose is broader: to help move this issue forward at the State House, either through (another) town-specific measure or – even better- legislation to enshrine hybrid meetings state-wide.

To be clear: this petition is about safeguarding the future of Town Meeting, not replacing in-person participation, but preserving choice. Residents who want to attend in person should always be able to do so. But those who cannot should not be excluded from the decisions that shape their community.

More than 60 municipalities across Massachusetts have already petitioned the Legislature for permanent authorization to hold hybrid or remote Town Meetings. Communities such as Concord and Wayland have gone further, requesting town-specific legislation when broader reform stalled.

Belmont should not wait passively while this temporary framework ticks toward expiration.

I have discussed this issue with State Sen. Will Brownsberger and State Rep. Dave Rogers, both of whom support a permanent solution. The challenge is not local opposition. Rather, it is the glacial pace of legislative action on Beacon Hill.

Hybrid Town Meeting has proven that it works. It has broadened participation, strengthened debate and reinforced the legitimacy of our decisions. Allowing that progress to lapse would be a step backward.

The Citizen’s Petition will be considered at Belmont’s Annual Town Meeting in May 2026. I hope Town Meeting members will see it for what it is: a practical, forward-looking effort to ensure that our most important democratic institution remains open to all.

—
Michael Crowley is Belmont Town Moderator.