Lisbon Charter Commission Survey - Forms of Government

Maine Town Government Models

The Charter Commission has identified seven different models of town government currently operating in Maine. They all fall into one of two categories, a direct form of government, where the citizens individually vote to approve the town’s budget, ordinances, and local laws; or a representative form of government, where the citizens abdicate their powers in part or entirely to representatives for decision making.

The options available are listed below with a question to follow.

Direct Forms of Government Models

• Town Meeting - Select board

This form of government is a traditional local system where an elected board handles executive duties and resident voters act directly as the legislature

How it works: Registered voters gather at an annual town meeting to vote directly on the budget, ordinances, and local laws. An elected board handles the executive duties between meetings.

• Town Meeting - Select board - Manager

This system is a popular form of municipal government where voters act as the legislative body, an elected select board sets broad policy, and a hired professional manager handles daily administrative operations

How it works: This is similar to the pure town meeting style, but the town hires a professional town manager. The manager handles daily administrative operations and enforces policies, allowing the select board to focus on big-picture goals.

• Referendum Town Meeting - Select board - Manager

This form of municipal government is where legislative power is held by the citizens through town meetings and referendums, executive policy is managed by an elected board, and daily administration is delegated to a professional town manager.

How It Works: Similar to the Town Meeting – Select board – Manager form of government with the exception that citizens vote on their warrant items (budgets, ordinances, and local laws) in the voting booth, rather than at the traditional town meeting. The select board and town manager draft the annual budget and proposed warrant articles. Voters review and vote on these items via a referendum ballot. Once policies and appropriations are approved by the voters, the manager handles daily administrative operations and enforces policies, allowing the select board to focus on big-picture goals.

Representative Forms of Government Models

• Representative Town Meeting

This form of municipal government is where residents elect specific members by precinct or district to debate, legislate, and vote on local laws, budgets, and policies on their behalf.

Unlike an open town meeting—where every registered voter in the town can attend and cast a direct vote—a representative town meeting functions like a local mini-legislature.

How It Works: Elected Members: Citizens vote to elect a specific number of town meeting members (often grouped by voting precincts or districts) to serve multi-year terms. Just like open meetings, business is conducted based on a published agenda or "warrant" detailing the articles, budgets, and bylaws up for consideration. While only the elected representatives can formally vote on the articles, regular residents and non-members can typically still attend the sessions and speak on issues. Representative town bodies approve municipal budgets, pass local ordinances and bylaws, vote on zoning changes, and authorize major town spending or borrowing.

• Council - Town Meeting - Manager

In this variation of the town meeting form of government, the legislative functions of government are shared between the town meeting and an elected council. The most common scenario is to have the town meeting vote on the budget and have the council tend to all other legislative functions.

How it works: Legislative duties are split between an elected town council and the open town meeting. For example, the town meeting might vote specifically on the budget, while the council handles other local laws and legislation.

▪ Council - Manager

In this form of government, the council is the elected body of government and serves both the legislative and executive functions. In Lisbon’s case Legislative powers are vested solely and exclusively with the Town Council. Administrative powers are vested in the Town Manager and Town Staff. Unlike the town meeting form of government, the Council form must be adopted through the local charter.

How it works: Voters elect a local council that handles both the legislative and executive tasks for the town. The council then hires a professional manager to run the day-to-day operations. This system requires a local town charter to be adopted.

▪ Council - Mayor - Administrator

A council-mayor-administrator (often a mayor - council structure with an appointed professional administrator) is a hybrid form of local government where an elected mayor acts as the chief executive.

How it works: Often called a "strong mayor" system, an elected mayor and council lead the government, supported by an administrator. This style is very rare in smaller Maine towns and is typically used in larger cities.