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Town meetings, traditionally, are gatherings that involve the whole population of a given area. The public is invited to partake in the meeting whether to discuss administrative or political agendas. The purpose is to acquire certain community feedbacks or suggestions on policies that is vital for the local government officials to better serve its constituents.

Town meetings are basically – and traditionally - considered a form of local government. It is also typically conducted by other bodies of the government depending on the district. Laws and uses vary from state to state, generally town meetings are held for its constituent’s welfare. It is normally held once a year to discuss certain community operations for the next 12 months. During these town meetings decisions on policies and budget issues are normally reached through the voting of eligible members of the town.

Then

Town meetings go way back since the beginning of time. Although town meetings are considered political in nature, historically, it was held with utmost sincerity to the improvement of the welfare of the constituents. Issues are dealt with straightforward and the decisions are met after careful considerations. Seldom is it tainted with so much political hidden agendas. Everybody is entitled to communicate their problems however unimportant it may seem.

Now

Nowadays, town meetings are sometimes held with the purpose of political advancement. It is normally attended and/or sponsored by candidates to strengthen their chances in an upcoming election. Although vital community issues are still addressed, constituents cannot help but think that they are being used by some people for their political scheme. This causes deterioration of camaraderie among the constituents of a town. Town meetings are very essential because it unites people to accomplish common goals. Its purpose is to maintain communications within the town to make sure that the benefits of the constituents are prioritized.

Town Meetings and Projects

Town meetings, because of their folksiness and openness, have been adopted by most large organizations. Therefore, they are a vehicle for communicating project information to stakeholders and constituencies, and also for receiving feedback from same. For example, a large organization might be undertaking certain changes in organization structure as part of a project. Town meetings – online or offline – can be a great means of communications at all phases of that project. Web technology and the dispersed nature of employees and team members have made virtual town meetings a very popular means of project communication.