Editing Acton, Massachusetts (section)

==Government==
Acton uses the [[Open Town Meeting]] form of town government. The [[town charter]] specifies that the annual town meeting must begin on the first Monday in May. The [[Select Board]] may also call a special town meeting at other times of the year to consider other business. Citizens may call for a special town meeting by submitting a petition signed by 200 registered voters to the town clerk. Anyone may attend Town Meeting but only registered voters may vote. Acton also has a water district, which is run separately from town government, as a public utility.
On May 6, 2024 Acton held an Annual Town Meeting with a record number of 2,601 voters within four different rooms inside the Acton-Boxborough Regional High School.

Acton's elected officials include the following: the [[Select Board]] (five members, three-year terms), the [[Town Moderator]] (one person, one-year term), Acton members of the Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee (seven members, three-year terms), the Housing Authority (four members, five-year terms) and Memorial Library Trustees (three members, three-year terms). In addition, the town moderator appoints a finance committee (nine members, three-year terms) which issues an opinion on each of the warrant articles presented to Town Meeting. In addition, a separate and independent branch of government, the Acton Water District, was established in 1912 and consists of three elected commissioners, an elected moderator, an elected clerk, an appointed district counsel, finance committee, Water Land Management Advisory Committee, and paid professional staff.<ref>[http://www.actonwater.com Acton Water District]</ref>

The town services are primarily funded through the residential property tax, which is subject to the limitations imposed by state statute known as [[Proposition 2½]]. The Water District is funded through water rates, connection fees and property rental. The Water District revenues, however, are not subject to Proposition {{frac|2|1|2}}.

===State and federal government===
On the state level, Acton is represented in the [[Massachusetts Senate]] by James "Jamie" Eldridge, and in the [[Massachusetts House of Representatives]] by [[Danillo Sena]] and [[Simon Cataldo]]. On the federal level, Acton is part of [[Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district]], represented by [[Lori Trahan]]. The state's senior ([[Classes of United States Senators#Class I|Class I]]) member of the [[United States Senate]] is [[Elizabeth Warren]]. The junior ([[Classes of United States Senators#Class II|Class II]]) senator is [[Ed Markey]].

===Civic infrastructure===
The civic infrastructure grew to accommodate the increasing population. A Water District was established in 1912 and a town-wide Fire Department was established in 1913. Acton was the first town in the area to have water-bound [[macadam]] highways.

In 2005 a new Public Safety Facility was built that expanded space for the Police Department and provided for a Joint Dispatch area with the Fire Department. The newest fire station was constructed in North Acton on Harris Street and placed into service in 2022. 

====Water district====
The Acton Water District is a community public water supply that delivers drinking water to the majority (about 90 percent) of the residents of the town of Acton, Massachusetts. All of the water provided from the district comes from seven [[water well|wells]] located within the town of Acton. The district's system consists of {{convert|106|mi|km|0}} of water main, four storage tanks, and water treatment facilities including aeration, activated granulated carbon (GAC), an advanced Zenon(R) filtration facility, plus [[fluoridation]] and state mandated chlorination.

Separate from the Water District, residents of Great Road (Route 2A) obtain their water from the mains running down their street, that connect Nagog Pond to the Concord water system. They are billed by Concord. The pond is both in North Acton and Littleton, but Concord apparently has the water rights.

====Sewers====
Most homes and businesses in Acton (approximately 80%) use private on-site sewage systems (i.e. [[septic tank]]s). Higher density developments such as condominiums and apartment buildings (approximately 10% of the town) use private sewers which go to small-scale private treatment plants.{{citation-needed|date=March 2024}}

In 2001, Acton completed its first public sewer system, which serves approximately 10% of the town, primarily in South Acton. A betterment fee is charged to property owners whose property is sited proximate to the sewage lines, whether or not they connect to the system.{{citation-needed|date=March 2024}}