Amherst For All starts the campaign 8/27/15
Amherst For All 8:45 AM this morning
The Amherst For All Charter change enthusiasts report a whopping 700 signatures collected throughout town today, well over the target goal of 500.
That now puts the effort at 2,400 signatures or 75% of the way to the final goal of 3,215 signatures.
That enormous number represents 15% of the registered voters in town, and is required to get a Charter change question on the ballot for the annual election coming up March 29. In addition voters will elect a 9-member Charter Commission to hash out a new and improved form of governance.
Steering Committee member Jerry Guidera is confident the group will have the required number of signatures by Thanksgiving, giving the entire town something extra to be thankful for on that most revered holiday.
13 comments:
KEEEEEEEP signing folks. Then vote.
I am the first to admit that Town Meeting is not the slightest bit representative of this town. It's really awful. But it seems to me that chosing a mayoral form of goverment is even more terrifying. How do we ensure that it doesn't end up being a popularity contest? Prettiest person wins? Any idiot with a high school diploma running our town? How do we prevent decision-making from being politicized? Great town employees from being let go because they want to do their job right as opposed to doing something that is popular? There is so much to be said for having a job description and being able to hire the most qualified, rather than the person with the most lawn signs. Can we have the best of both worlds? An elected town council and a hired town manager? Our existing finance committee is top-notch. Please don't take them away!
6:59
How about a Town Meeting with 45 reps (smallest allowed in Mass.), and everything else stays the same? That serves the purpose of making TM more accountable, which is the main reason I am collecting signatures.
"City of Amherst" has a nice ring to it!!
Of course we Wanted Gore v. Bush to be a popularity contest, Make up your minds.
Yes. It goes "Ding dong. Ding dong."
Am I the only person to notice that the entire Select Board are middle-aged white people, all Town Managers have been white men, almost all Town employees are white, and almost every town department is headed by a white man? Almost every administrative assistant is a white woman. What is this, the set for Happy Days?
Town meeting is by it's nature the most representative body in Amherst. You can't reduce the number of town meeting seats and call that more representative. You can't elimate a legislative body of 240 and move it's powers to a few people and say that is more democratic. These claims defy logic, mathematics and common sense. This is a move consolidate power not spread it more widely.
And am I the only person to notice that the eintire Town Meting is made up of overly white folks pushing retirement age (and beyond)?
Do you have something against whites?
What have you got against the aged?
My point is that most people can't spend 3 hours every Monday and Wednesday night for two months in these meetings. It has nothing to do with race. Most parents of young children cannot be Town Meeting members. Divorced parents also cannot. Their time is too valuable. If Town Meeting is to continue, the format needs to change.
3:39 is right, TM's format favors bums and retirees. And by format, I mean continuing discussion until no hands rise. NO OTHER TOWNS DO THIS. After a reasonable time, discussion should be stopped and a vote taken.
Yes, actually I would have.
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