MEXICO – It’s official. Mexico now has a process with which to handle the switch from open town meeting voting to secret balloting 10 days after the annual June gathering.

By a 702-399 vote Tuesday, residents enacted the referendum town meeting ordinance.

Additionally, the land management ordinance’s two proposed amendments were OK’d by a 753-349 tally.

At town meeting in June, a majority voted by secret ballot to scrap the open town meeting voting process and switch to secret ballot voting. Selectmen then had planners draft an ordinance, the purpose of which would:

• provide a reasonable comprehensive plan to smoothly transition between open town meeting and referendum town meeting;

• clarify, classify and consolidate the number and makeup of appropriation articles to be voted by secret ballot;

• enable continued funding of existing municipal services – without unnecessary disruption – should an appropriation article not be approved; and

• reduce the number of articles on which to be voted, by giving municipal officers the authority to act on routine administrative matters instead of voting on them annually at town meeting.

The town will now have a public hearing, at which a moderator will be elected prior to any discussions on municipal budget items. Then, the hearing would be closed and voting conducted by secret ballot, at least 10 days later.

The majority’s acceptance of Article 2, which sought to amend setback deficiencies in Mexico’s land management ordinance, will affect space and bulk standards.

Current rules lacked provisions for nonconforming lots on the dimensional requirements page.

The first amendment creates a minimum lot size/density of between 5,000 and 7,500 square feet, with water and sewer. Additional bulk and space standards would require a minimum of 50 feet of road frontage, a minimum 25-foot front setback, 15-foot minimum side and rear setbacks, and a maximum structure height of 45 feet.

The second amendment gives people – per request and approval by planners and abutters – a variance for 6-foot side and rear setbacks on nonconforming lots.