It’s that time of year when voters roll up their sleeves and get down to the business of town government. Democracy begins at the local level where neighbors come together to choose how best to govern their town and spend their tax dollars. So it begins when the 2012 Special and Annual Town Meetings gets underway at 9 a.m. this Saturday, March 10 at the Performing Arts Center. One of the criticisms of Town Meeting is not about the process, but about attendance – or lack thereof. To address it, Paul McCormack, who is also running for the Board of Selectmen, introduced a proposal to change Town Meeting from open to representative (see Article 20). That’s one of the articles expected to elicit an interesting back and forth. Another certain to be a hot button issue in light of last year’s vote to approve the purchase of Blairhaven on a reconsideration vote will be the very motion of reconsideration. Article 21 seeks to end the little understood parliamentary procedure that allows for a vote. As it does every year, the Clipper breaks down each of the 48 articles into plain talk for voters. Starting on page 11, you’ll find a summary of each article, who sponsored it and why, and the pro and cons of it – if any. Talk it over with your neighbors, bring the supplement along with you to Town Meeting, and, most of all, let us know your thoughts on the 2012 Town Meeting by dropping us a line at editor@duxburyclipper.com or Tweeting us with the hashtag #duxtm12. Like Town Meeting itself, your input counts.