Truro Tension

Cape Cod News editorial staff

Truro's tumultuous town meeting challenges push fall meeting to the spring - and mirror issues appearing across the Cape and Islands

"One person, one vote. That's the basis of our system."

— Darrin Tangeman
Town Manager, Town of Truro

What is happening in Truro?

Truro's 2023 fall special town meeting now sits scheduled for May 2024 - on the same weekend as the annual town meeting. This upcoming double dose of democracy in action rose from voter registration challenges and heated debates over housing, land use, and municipal projects ... any may very well reflect a growing reality within many Cape and Island towns..


Were people registering to vote incorrectly?

Prior to Turo's special fall town meeting, an organization of part-time homeowners encouraged people who did not live full time in Truro to register to vote in the town. According the Town's legal counsel and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this is not allowed under Massachusett's voting laws. The state allows for voter registration by people only in their primary residence, and people may only have one primary residence.


Truro Town Manager Darrin Tangeman said 66 voter registration challenges were filed and the scheduled October meeting postponed. About half of those individuals either withdrew their registrations or removed after the challenge.


What happened to postpone the meeting again?

After the voter registration issue, the meeting was scheduled for a new November date. When more than 750 people showed up, the meeting was again postponed because that number of attendees exceeded the capacity of Truro Central School.  As it turns out, there are no inside venues that can hold 750 people in the the Town of Truro, and the town charter requires that town meeting be held in the town.


Will Truro's special fall meeting ever be held?

The new date for the special fall town meeting is May 4, 2024. It will be held outside so that the capacity can handle more people and it will be held the same weekend as the regular annual Town Meeting.


Why were so many people interested?

A handful of articles accounting for the high level of interest. Two were for funding municipal activities: $1.4M for air conditioning for Truro Central School and a new $35M DPW facility. Two were about planning for the future: housing, open space, and recreation on the 69 acre-Walsh property off Rt 6 and the town's comprehensive plan. 


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