Contrary to a common misconception, the Sturbridge Board of Selectmen have no authority to spend locally raised revenues - be they property taxes, water/sewer fees, meal/hotel taxes, etc., nor does the Board have the authority to incur debt, create or change bylaws, increase water/sewer rates, approve projects that necessitate the use of locally generated revenues, determine zoning or a host of other significant responsibilities that impact our daily lives. At the risk of redundancy it is important to reiterate that such power rests solely and unequivocally with the Legislative Branch – the voters at Town Meeting.
The role of the Board of Selectmen is to ensure that the will of the Legislative Branch is fulfilled. To that end, Section 4-2c of the Town Charter specifically states that “The executive powers of the town shall be vested in the Board of Selectmen, and may be exercised by them jointly or through the town agencies and offices under their general supervision and control. The Board of Selectmen shall cause the laws and orders for the government of the town to be enforced, and shall cause a record of all their official acts to be kept, and for that purpose and to aid them in their official duties, they shall appoint a Town Administrator”. Thus, the selectmen are responsible to ensure that the laws and orders - so determined by the Legislative Branch- are enforced. To aid the Board in its official duties, it appoints a Town Administrator.
In considering the enormity of the role maintained by the Legislative Branch, it can be disheartening and perhaps even alarming when one reflects upon the number of “legislators” who determine the fate of our community. To that end, it is worth reviewing the attendance records for town meetings over the last few years where the most important decisions facing our community are made, while simultaneously contrasting them against the number of voters who cast ballots at annual town elections to select individuals whose roles and responsibilities are of less significance in our day-to-day lives.
On average, the attendance of registered voters (legislators) at Annual Town Meeting over the last 6 years (previously held in April, now held in June) stands at 5% or approximately 300 voters. During that same time-frame, attendance by registered voters (legislators) at Special Town Meetings has averaged approximately 4% or 250 voters. The significance of Town Meeting cannot be overstated as those decisions that impact our tax burden (i.e. Town Hall/Center Office Building Renovations, Burgess Elementary School Renovations, land purchases, our annual budget, etc.) as well as decisions that impact the rates users pay for water and sewer (i.e. Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade/expansion, Route 131 water/sewer line upgrades, Well #4, etc.) are made by residents at Town Meeting. This is not to suggest that these were not necessary or worthy expenditures, but rather to demonstrate that the most important financial decisions we make, are being made by a very small percentage of voters.
To further illustrate this point, consider the past 6 years where voter turnout at annual elections for the Board of Selectmen, Board of Health, School Committee, etc. have averaged 25% of registered voters annually. Though these elected individuals are afforded no legislative authority, as their responsibility is to develop and enforce policy that ensures the will of the Legislative Branch is fulfilled, the ease with which one can cast a vote at the ballot box ensures a much higher and more respectable turnout. As an elected official who recognizes the importance of a strong voter turnout to ensure that those who would govern are selected by the largest percentage of voters possible, I welcome the turnout at annual elections. That said, I would be remiss were I not to identify that in the purest sense, the votes cast at Town Meeting have infinitely more impact upon our day-to-day lives than do those we cast for our locally elected officials.
Clearly, one recognizes that the exercise of one’s vote at the ballot box is more convenient and more easily accomplished than sitting through hours of an Annual or Special Town Meeting. Thus, there is no question that Town Meeting by virtue of its length (hours vs. minutes at the ballot box), timing (work/school night from 7:00 PM until…, as opposed to voting throughout the day from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM at the ballot box), and location (Tantasqua Regional High School vs. Burgess Elementary School) create significant challenges for voters. Parents are faced with childcare concerns, seniors - the anxiety of nighttime driving and the discomfort associated with leaving and arriving home in darkness, while others are finishing a long day at work and simply need time to distress or tend to family matters with those who have eagerly awaited their arrival. These and others are valid reasons to be desirous of limiting the additional stress or anxiety associated with a late and perhaps long night at Town Meeting. That said, the validity of reasons for missing Town Meeting create a situation by which a very small number of voters are determining the fate and financial burdens we bear as residents.
As each of us review our personal budgets and develop strategies to address the mounting financial challenges we face locally, it is wise to consider the importance of our presence at Town Meeting. Despite the real hurdles that exist in terms of attendance, we must consider the judiciousness of allowing others to determine our fate. At no other level is government more “of the people, by the people, and for the people” than at the local level. In Sturbridge - due to its practice of Town Meeting Government, ultimate authority rests solely with the voters, not their elected officials. To that end, Sturbridge maintains the purest form of democracy that exists as we each possess the ability and the opportunity to truly influence the outcome of a warrant article.
It is critical that voters recognize and make effort to exercise the unequivocal authority granted them by way of their legislative power at Town Meeting. To that end, it is important to develop plans or formulate strategies that ensure attendance by at least one member of a family. Annual Town Meeting is a once a year commitment, while Special Town Meetings – when necessitated by budgetary requests or other needs - may require one or two (rarely) additional meetings. Notifications are generally provided months in advance, while the actual Warrant Articles (those issues to be determined by the Legislative Branch) are finalized and generally available for review14 days prior to Town Meeting via the Town Hall, the Town’s website, and local news outlets.
When considering the importance of these meetings, it is important to note that in the last 5 years alone, exclusive of (as in not including) any spending for various annual purchases, capital expenditures, various studies, or our annual operating budget of approximately $25 million, we have undertaken in excess of $50 million in additional debt, beyond that still owed on previous borrowing. This includes borrowing for the new Wastewater Treatment Facility, Town Hall/Center Office Building renovations, Route 131 water and sewer line upgrades, a new well and the Burgess School renovations.
As previously stated, this is not to suggest any lack of merit in terms of these projects, as that is a matter each of us must individually contemplate. I reference these particular projects merely to illustrate the significance that Town Meeting plays in our lives and how imperative it is that we all take a more active and participatory role in determining our future. To continue to allow 4% – 5% of registered voters to legislate our lives, whether we support projects of this nature or not is an unwise course of action, as the opposite holds true as well, in that projects or warrant articles one might have supported, may well have failed or will fail due to the small percentage of legislators considering the issue at any given Annual or Special Town Meeting.
Well said! It is imperative that voters attend the upcoming Special Town Meeting (date is yet to be set) to support moving Town Meetings to Saturdays.
ReplyDeleteLet's try Saturdays and see if voter turnout is improved!