Comments about the Town Meeting review Committee

From: Marilyn Ishler
Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 8:54 PM
To: Bob Judge
Subject: Thanks

Thanks for coming to the hearing tonight.  We will be bringing a motion to the SB for STM on 21st.  Ira is cleaning up the motion from our discussion tonight.  It is to establish a standing committee to oversee electronic communication for TM Members
Marilyn


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From: Bob Judge
To: Marilyn Ishler
Cc: Linda L. Young ; 'Robert Judge'
Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 9:41 PM
Subject: RE: Thanks

Marilyn:

You are welcome, but the real thanks are due to you and to the Committee for doing the unglamorous work.

You have your work cut out for you.  I no longer believe that anything can be done that will significantly increase the quantity and quality of participation in town meeting.  You, Linda Young, and others have been beating that drum well for years, but the residents have not responded to you adequately.

I was interested to hear your mention tonight of the Massachusetts town that has only 50 town meeting members, but has I think you said a larger population than S. Hadley.  I think that only a drastic reduction in size of that magnitude in S. Hadley’s Town Meeting will get the attention of residents.  It would tell them that by declining to participate more and better, many of them are going to have to sacrifice the right to vote as a town meeting member.  If that were to later cause a reaction that subsequently justified increasing the size of town meeting, fine.  It would be most cumbersome to decrease the size one year then increase it later, but if that is what it would take to shake things up, so be it.

Still, I hope I’m wrong.  I hope your attempt to reinvigorate Town Meeting works.  Just as I supported the Charter Commission’s recommendation, I look forward to supporting the recommendations of your Committee.

However, I continue to believe, as my letter in the Town Reminder said, that another Charter Commission should be formed, one that I assume would recommend a Town Manager form of government.  There are those of us like you, Linda, and I who I am sure will continue to participate actively in town government with or without a change in our structure.  However, we need significant change of one kind or another to get the attention of other residents to the idea that town government can be changed, and for the better.

-Bob