Hamilton’s Annual Town Meeting is on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at 9 A.M. at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School, 775 Bay Road, South Hamilton. Please be sure to arrive early enough to allow for check-in. To ensure residents are informed and prepared, we will continue to share details on this important event.
How to Participate Effectively
Check-In
- Check-in opens at 8:15 A.M.
- Electronic clickers will be assigned at check-in and paired with a room-specific receiver for voting.
- Voters will decide on one of two room assignment and proceed to the check-in table for that room.
- Auditorium: Performance theater seating
- Cafeteria: Family-friendly space (an additional space – Room 99) will be available for nursing mothers)
Warrant
- The Warrant is posted on the Hamilton website – 4.5.2025 ATM WARRANT_FINCOM REPORT COMBINED
- All of the business of Annual Town Meeting will be included in the Warrant.
- The Warrant will be available in multiple formats:
- Online
- Scannable QR code sent by mail to every household
- Printed copies of the Warrant and Finance Committee Book of Recommendations will be available at the HW Library and Hamilton, Hamilton Council on Aging Building and Hamilton Town Clerk’s Office, at no cost, on March 28. (Please 1 per person)
- Residents should bring a copy of the Warrant to the meeting.
Key Warrant Articles (2025)
- One of the articles in the warrant pertains to the consolidated schools project, and the associated debt-exclusion. The debt-exclusion question will also be on the Town Election Ballot on April 10, 2025.
- For the consolidated school project to move forward, BOTH the Annual Town Meeting Vote and the Ballot Vote must pass. Voters should make every effort to participate in both Town Meeting and the Town Election.
- 3A compliance vote will not be on the warrant at the April 5, 2025 Annual Town Meeting, nor will it be on the Ballot on April 10, 2025.
Vote by Mail – Town Meeting?
- Voting at Town Meeting is in-person only.
- Vote by mail is NOT available for Town Meeting.
Vote by Mail – Election?
- Voting by mail is available for Town Election
- The last day to request a mailed ballot for the Annual Town Election is Thursday, April 3, 2025 at 5 P.M.
Babysitting at Cutler School
The HWRHS National Honor Society will be providing babysitting services at Cutler School during the Hamilton Town Meeting. Families must register in advance; no walk-ins. The deadline to sign up is Friday, April 4th at 12 PM. Contact HWRHS teacher Julie Cahill O’Shea, NHS Advisor, with questions at 978-468-0431.
Overflow Parking
Additional free parking at Winthrop Elementary School, 325 Bay Rd.
Shuttle Service
Cape Ann Transportation Authority (CATA) is offering a free shuttle service at Winthrop Elementary School to Town Meeting. The roundtrip shuttle service is direct door-to-door. Pick-up and drop-off will be at the main entrance of both schools. The shuttle seats 14 passengers per trip. The distance between locations is 2 miles on Rt1A.
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Morning Shuttle Service: 8 A.M. to 9:30 A.M.
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Morning Pick-Up Location: Winthrop Elementary School
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Afternoon Shuttle Service: The shuttle will return to the High School at the closing of meeting (no need to call dispatch).
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Please form a line for an orderly bus pick-up – Look for the bus-top signage.
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Afternoon Pick-Up Location: Hamilton Wenham Regional High School
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Please be mindful not to linger at the meeting location too long and ensure you are in line when it’s time to return to overflow parking.
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The shuttle will continue making trips until everyone is back (we estimate 45-minutes after the conclusion of the Town Meeting).
CATA Dispatch: 978-283-7916
Additional Links
Town Meeting – Everything you need to know about Town Meeting, Roles and How to Participate
Hamilton Wenham Regional School District School Building Committee and Proposed HW Elementary School Project Tax Calculator
Town Moderator
Town Clerk
Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Citizens Guide to Town Meeting
Article – How Hamilton’s ATM Intersects with Centuries of Civic Leadership
Complimentary Slides for Social Media
Big decisions are on the horizon, and we want YOU to be part of the action at this year’s Town Meeting! Let’s make sure everyone has a voice—share these slides on your social media and help us spread the word. Together, we’ll get out the VOTE.
