Monday, December 21, 2015

3,457

Amherst Town Meeting lovers may soon be in mourning

The final certified signature count to force placement on the ballot a question about forming a study group -- aka Charter Commission -- to come up with a new & improved local government came in 242 signatures over the 3,215 threshold.

And it's all or nothing, so as along as a formal challenge does not negate 243 of the signatures, the question will appear on the March 31 ballot. 

In addition 9 Charter Commissioners will be elected on that same ballot and already five citizens have taken out nomination papers, which require 50 valid signatures:

Cheryl Zoll, Irv Rhodes, Aaron Hayden, Stephen Schreiber, and Janet McGowan are the brave souls who have stepped forward thus far, but now that enough signatures have been certified to make the ballot other candidates will no doubt soon enter the fray.

 Amherst For All celebrates in the hallway in front of Town Clerk's office this morning

Since the Select Board can also place a non-binding advisory question on the ballot they should also do what a previous Select Board did a dozen years ago and ask the voters if indeed it's time to lay Town Meeting to rest.

That way the Charter Commission can focus on the real solution:  Mayor/Council.


11 comments:

  1. The hubris of the pro-charter people will be their undoing.

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  2. Tha times they are a changing!!!!

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  3. I propose a Town Council consisting of all Amherst residents, with voting restricted to those over the age of 13, and with no quorum requirements. Meeting take place on the Town Common. Now, who wants to serve as Mayor?

    - A 27-year Resident

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  4. Just what the world needs. Another study.

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  5. Anonymous Eeyore 5:25 am gets up early on a dreary December morn to moan his negativity to the world.

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    1. Well , at least I' healthy and wealthy if not wise. You must sleep in to moan yours.

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  6. Anon: 6:52:
    It is the collective hubris of both anti and pro charter movement folks that is likely to be the undoing of us all, assuming it continues. Wouldn't it be nice if we could call a moratorium on righteousness and ridicule for even a short while in order to take an honest look at ourselves?

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  7. An Anon wanting to take an "honest look at ourselves." I like that.

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  8. Gov. Baker has a bill before the Legislature giving the power to form a Charter Commission directly to the Selectboard. It is badly needed. I hope the Dinglehoffers do challenge the signatures. You can't buy that kind of advertising. Thank you, Dinglehoffers!

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