This homeowner called it
So no BIG surprises in yesterday's annual town election. No little surprises either. Turnout was a pathetic at best 7.5%. Or with only 1,472 voters making the effort -- in an election costing taxpayers around $12,000 -- a little over $8 cost per vote cast.
The town really needs to follow UMass and create a PR Department to better promote the Amherst "brand." Since we are famous for being so opinionated it is embarrassing to have such a lousy turnout for a local election -- the most fundamental aspect of civic engagement.
But the establishment will be (somewhat) happy with the results. Phoebe Hazzard survived an election process snafu and ended up the top vote getter, beating out somewhat seasoned candidate Vira Douangmany.
Although two seats were open so both candidates will join the 5 member Amherst School Committee.
The last minute School Committee write in campaign to keep Lawrence O'Brien on the board failed to gain traction. But first timer Victor Nunez-Ortiz did well for a write in candidate garnering 259 votes.
Election ballots are kind of like web pages: you want them to load quickly with as few clicks as possible to complete whatever task brought you there. And taking the time to write in the full name of a candidate vs simply filling in a little oval is a lot to ask.
TracyLee Boutilier, the other winner in a somewhat contested Amherst Housing Authority race, like Vira Douangmany, is also somewhat seasoned as she ran for the AHA last year and lost to establishment candidate Peter Jessop.
With the town currently falling all over itself to address the problem of affordable housing the AHA could be instrumental in the upcoming political firefights.
It will also be interesting to see who replaces Paul Bobrowski, a level headed attorney, as Chair of the Amherst Housing Authority since he did not run for reelection.
Also on a second try Doug Slaughter won an uncontested seat on the still all white Select Board, our Executive branch of government.
The Select Board has not had a decent contest since 2007 when current SB member Alisa Brewer humiliated then Chair Anne Awad's husband Robie Hubley and "reversed her steady consolidation of power."
Town Meeting winners (top 8 per Precinct for 3 year terms):
Is it apathy or pointlessness with virtually no contested seats?
ReplyDeleteCue the circus music!
ReplyDeleteYes, I thought about voting but most everything was uncontested. And none of my precinct's Town Meeting candidates represent my interests so I would have left that whole portion of the ballot blank.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, I left a lot of blanks.
ReplyDeleteI was told by the Hampshire Gazette that Amherst elections were a blood sport, so I needed to collect all the courage I had to vote, expecting violent mobs at the polls like the 18th century elections in England. It was somewhat disappointing therefore to find only a few hardy elders at the Bang Center polling place armed with felt pens.
ReplyDeleteWith regard to the SC race, I wonder whether voter apathy demonstrates neutral disengagement or active disgust.
ReplyDeleteI care about the SC, and have been increasingly frustrated in recent years over its dysfunction, misplaced priorities, and inability to impact the school district's heartbreaking decline. This week despite intending to do so, I did not make it to the polls. I'd given thought to the candidates but was essentially non-plussed in all cases. I would not have voted for either of the race-centric candidates - the community organizer or the grievance bearer. Phoebe Hazzard, on the other hand, is reported to be a status quo shill for the Geryk administration, and she likely bent ethics rules to get on the ballot. O'Brien clarified that a write-in vote for him would be fruitless.
My kids are all older, with only the youngest still vulnerable to ARPS rot, but safely protected since four years ago by placement outside the town school system.
So I guess I am a case study in Amherst voter apathy. I've gradually given up on the local school system (although my taxes still support it), and this time I couldn't even muster the energy to march into Munson Library to cast a write-in vote ... for Larry Kelley!
Oddly enough I do hold the record for most write in votes in a local election (500+) from a Select Board race 20 years ago.
ReplyDeleteanon @852,
ReplyDeleteI share your pain. I couldn't be bothered to vote as well. I would have, if there was a box to check "none of the above". I wouldn't write in Larry though
Actually there is (sort of) a "none of the above" option: Leave it blank.
ReplyDeleteWhich a lot of people did (especially in the Town Meeting races).
Some people keep ticket stubs from favorite concerts. Larry keeps voting results. Cool!
ReplyDeleteIf I did I would have the exact number.
ReplyDeleteBut these days not overly hard to look up once the annual town reports are available on the town website.
"since" the annual town reports are available ...
ReplyDeleteThanks Larry for publishing the results in such detail.
ReplyDeleteVery sad to see Phil Jackson lost his seat while John Fox and Hwei Ling were voted in. Phil was always a voice of reason at TM. Also Sharon Povenelli of Hastings was great for N. Amherst and was defeated by a newcomer.
Isn't there some way to get rid of TM without going through TM? We are losing ground rapidly.
I think at this point about the best we can do is downsize Town Meeting to 60 (from 240).
ReplyDeleteThat way at least the races would be competitive and a lot easier to shine a light upon their voting records.
How would that happen exactly? Is there anything a non-town meeting member can do or are we locked out?
ReplyDeleteWell you could collect the signatures of 15% of the registered voters on a petition to call for a Charter change (to say Mayor/Council for instance) but that would be around 2,750 signatures.
ReplyDeleteOr Town Meeting could vote to downsize itself to 60 members.
You could get 10 signature to put that on the annual Spring Town Meeting next year or get 100 signatures over the Summer to get it on the Fall warrant.
The election results support my ongoing argument that those who choose to vote want a Town Meeting that is a brake on development and change. They like a Town Meeting membership that is distrustful of the appointed and elected leadership of the Town. And those who choose NOT to vote are either completely confused about how to advance their interests at the ballot box, or think that a town government divided against itself permits them to check out, watch the Sox, and sleep soundly.
ReplyDeleteOne only had to be sitting in Town Meeting for the single session in November to witness starkly how deeply suspicious a significant number of members are in the Planning Board and the town officials who work with it.
I don't share that view and therefore perhaps I'm subject to being voted out as Mr. Jackson was.
The attempt to inject a sinister element into the motives and decisions of volunteers and town employees just hasn't rung true to me. I try to watch carefully, and I don't see it.
I place great weight on the opinions established through the deliberative processes that took place prior to Town Meeting, carried out by people appointed to study the issues. I need clear and convincing evidence to the contrary in order to vote against them.
Rich Morse
The link to Mary Carey's blog you've included is a worthwhile reminder of just how toxic and nasty it got during the Awad Era in Amherst. It slips from memory because no one was quite like Ms. Awad.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping that South Hadley voters have some idea of just how she exercises power once she gets elected.
Top vote-getters:
ReplyDeletePrecinct 1: Janet Keller & Pat Holland
Precinct 3: Pat Church
Precinct 8: Gerry Weiss
Precinct 10: John Fox & Maurianne Adams
Out of the money: Stephen Brewer & Phil Jackson
8th place and one step from oblivion in Precinct 10 (where they need to just build a moat):
Lew Mainzer.
The 7.5% have spoken, and one voting bloc in town took significant steps toward The Magic Two-Thirds. That and a return to town-wide office are The Final Frontier. It can happen in this decade.
Town meeting wouldn't have to shrink from 75% to 60 members to be more efficient. Even cutting it in half to 120 members (12 per precinct) would be a big improvement.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: what happens in precincts (such as precinct 4) where there weren't enough candidates on the ballot to fill the available town meeting slots? Does town meeting then end up with less than 240 members? (or are there usually enough write-in candidates to fill the vacancies?).
It doesn't seem fair or right to me than in some precincts, people can be elected to Town Meeting with just a handful of write-in votes, and in other precincts, getting 50 votes or more is insufficient.
True, and who is responsible for redistricting based on the 2010 census to my knowledge this has not been done
ReplyDelete