In 2001 with a 17% turnout Amherst voted to support a Charter Commission by 63%
By a comfortable -- some would say crushing-- margin of 2039 Yes to 1,340 No the voters of Amherst have spoken, and it's clear they wish to see change in the current antiquated form of government.
And since opponents of the Charter Question chose to make it entirely about Town Meeting using the moniker, "Town Meeting Works" , it's a pretty good bet the message voters just sent is, "Town Meeting doesn't work."
The 9-member Charter Commission will meet April 5th at 6:30 PM to organize themselves by voting a Chair, Vice Chair, and Clerk. Then the work really begins.
Turnout for 2016 election was 17.75% with 60% approving Charter
Two-thirds of the 'Amherst For Change' slate won
Celebration at The Pub
Vince O'Connor was thrashed by 2-1 by both opponents
Vince O'Connor was the biggest individual loser of the election and School Committee member Vira Douangmany Cage by strongly endorsing him on her Facebook page also caused damage to her campaign for the state legislature.
The Town Meeting form of government also took a thrashing at the polls in Framingham, as voters there by a whopping four-to-one-margin (4099 to 886) favored forming a Charter Commission.
Ah, progress.
Long time Town Meeting members Irwin & Martha Spiegelman failed to get reelected. She was on the 2001 Charter Commission and filed a "minority report" opposing the Mayor/Council/Manager government they came up with and was supported 7-2
Charter proposal that failed by 14 votes in 2003 and 252 votes in 2005
any results on who is on the charter commission?
ReplyDeleteWhere is this information posted? Other election results?
ReplyDeleteJust updated with Charter Commission results (mostly good news).
ReplyDeleteVince lost BIG time by two to one for School Committee.
60% of voters voted for change
ReplyDelete6 out 9 seats go to amherstchange candidates
A clear message.
ReplyDeleteVery glad Vince lost. He should not be trusted with any position requiring responsibility.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the turnout?
ReplyDeleteAround 17%.
ReplyDeleteEach of the two new School Committee members received more votes for their seat than any other current or departing member received for theirs, by a lot.
ReplyDeleteI wish both of them the best, but I still believe they are harming their children by serving. Actually, I wonder if I am legally obligated to file a 51A -- not that I will, but knowing what I do about how Team Maria will treat their children, I technically, probably, am supposed to.
ReplyDeleteIf that doesn't say something about Team Maria, nothing ever could....
A clear direction for the commission: create a simple mayor-council proposal
ReplyDeleteI voted for Vince this time because I felt he is the only one who could stand up to Maria and actually QUESTION her on all the terrible changes she is making to our schools: mega school; reducing languages in ARMS; renting out ARMS to GCC instead of using it as an elementary school; consolidating math to the 1 track that only 5% of students/families choose for themselves. What's next?
ReplyDeleteed you seem to know so much but say so little...you would sound a lot more credible to share what you know
ReplyDeleteEd doesn't know squat.
DeleteEd knows nothing. Any person with a head on their shoulders knows that even mentioning knowledge of wrongdoing worthy of a 51A on a public blog is a rookie legal mistake that could jeopardize potential legal action. I'm sorry to all of the other readers out there, I expect Ed to reply to this comment with some sort of vulgarity in classic Ed fashion.
ReplyDeleteWhen are town meeting member results available and where?
ReplyDeleteResults are available on town website, Town Clerk section.
ReplyDeleteVulgarity.
ReplyDeleteI do find it interesting that the superintendent's children are now being homeschooled.
ReplyDeletewhat does that say, if anything, about our schools and how well they meet students' needs?
As reflected in some of the letters in last week's Amherst Bulletin, not everyone who voted YES on the charter question is opposed to continuing Town Meeting. Some signed the charter petition because they supported the idea of exploring alternative forms of town government. I would think that one option could be a smaller, more effective town meeting, for example.
ReplyDeleteIf a very different form of government ends up being proposed by the Charter Commision, it may have trouble winning voter approval.
Well they tried a downsized Town Meeting 20 years ago and that failed, and then they tried a Mayor/Council/Manager 13 & 11 years ago and that failed, so the only thing left to try is Mayor/Council.
ReplyDeleteSo, 60% of 17% of the eligible voters supported the charter proposal or about 10% of the eligible voters supported the charter proposal. Not exactly an overwhelming mandate.
ReplyDeleteHelen Berg has been elected to TM for 3 years by the Precinct 1 loonies. But VO didn't even carry his home district.
ReplyDeleteExcuse me for being new to this, but what does this vote mean? Is it the next step to becoming a city, getting a mayor, etc.. or just a board to study if switching town government is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
New to town resident from a small town.
There seem to be a very large discrepancy in number of voters between precincts. Are they balanced by population at all?
ReplyDeleteSort of.
ReplyDeleteIf you scroll down to my article "And So It Begins" I publish the number of voters (both active and non active) per Precinct.
Anon 10:55 AM
Welcome to Amherst. You picked an interesting time to arrive. All this means is that a Charter Commission will study our current form of government and try to come up with one that is better.
Whatever they come up with (and they have 18 months to do so) will need voter approval at either the 2017 or 2018 Annual Election.
Actually Rene more like 15% of the "active voters" supported the Charter. By our pathetic local election standards, a solid mandate.
ReplyDeleteRene (10:26), 60% of the eligible voters who VOTED supported the charter and that is an overwhelming mandate. The opinions of eligible voters that didn't exercise their privilege and right to vote, and any perceived metrics therein are irrelevant. A requirement of being heard in a democracy either way is that you participate.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing, in Amherst there will be massive turnouts for a general election where a democratic candidate that will likely win the state of Massachusetts regardless. Yet, when it comes to local level contests where the outcome can change tangible things in their town in a relatively immediate time frame, there is little interest. Proves the point, Amherst is all talk and no walk.
Ok great. Thank you very much.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure. (Especially with this story.)
ReplyDelete"Dr. Ed said...
ReplyDeleteI wish both of them the best, but I still believe they are harming their children by serving. Actually, I wonder if I am legally obligated to file a 51A -- not that I will, but knowing what I do about how Team Maria will treat their children, I technically, probably, am supposed to."
This just more of Ed's silliness, which is never ending. Ed, if you only had a job, you would know what real work is like.
Yawn.
ReplyDeleteOh, and, "Vulgarity."
Of course you are yawning, Ed, you are still in your bunny pajamas with the feet on them.
ReplyDeleteLarry and Anon 11:31,
ReplyDeleteEven at your probably more accurate 15%, it still seems to me to be an underwhelming vote for the Charter Commission, but that may be something we'll just disagree on. I do agree with you that it is a pathetic turnout for such an important issue. Clearly, the "Amherst for All" did a much better job of getting their people out and in any election, that is the name of the game.
And they will do it again a year from now (or two years if it takes that long).
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see that O'Connor is against the mega school; reducing languages in ARMS; renting out ARMS to GCC instead of using it as an elementary school; and consolidating math to the 1 track that only 5% of students/families choose for themselves. It doesn't take a genius, however, to be opposed to these actions prima facie. His action (or inaction) on the dog incident at Crocker alone, however, should have disqualified him.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the Charter Question, it's encouraging to see the desire of many Amherst voters for a more accountable and responsive form of town government. The Charter is just one step, but one in the right direction nonetheless.
Vince loses election.
ReplyDelete"Ha ha!"
-Nelson
With a 33" inseam & size 13 feet, I regret to inform you that the bunny pajamas aren't feasible.
ReplyDeleteAs to the need to attack me personally -- yawn.
Oh, and, "Vulgarity."
Hmmm. "Due to his insistence that he has an invisible six-foot rabbit for a best friend, a whimsical middle-aged man is thought by his family to be insane"...
ReplyDeleteCoincidence Dr. Ed? I think not.
Yawn.
ReplyDeleteAnd, "Vulgarity."
"It's nice to see that O'Connor is against the mega school; reducing languages in ARMS; renting out ARMS to GCC instead of using it as an elementary school; and consolidating math to the 1 track that only 5% of students/families choose for themselves. It doesn't take a genius, however, to be opposed to these actions prima facie. "
ReplyDeleteI don't see anyone else publicly opposing any of these things.
Then you aren't paying attention, Mr. Ed.
DeleteIt's DOCTOR Ed, I very much earned it, and I meant (and now explicitly state) School Committee Members. I don't see any other SC members publicly exercising their oversight role and asking Maria what the hell she thinks she's doing.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to stick with Mr. Ed. Anyone who shows such infantile behavior, like calling people "penis breath," does not deserve to be addressed as Dr.
DeleteSince the school of UMass school of ED has been fully discredited, it seems to be your doctoral degree is worthless. Pity.
ReplyDeleteI think Mister Ed is closer to reality. He a horse of a horse, of course of course, the wonderful Mister Ed... South end of a north bound one that is...
ReplyDeleteAnd if one bases one' self worth on a worthless degree, one is, oneself, worthless. QED
ReplyDeleteAnonymous Anonymous said...
ReplyDelete"I do find it interesting that the superintendent's children are now being homeschooled. what does that say, if anything, about our schools and how well they meet students' needs?" March 30, 2016 at 10:12 AM
Really - Are you that clueless? Everyone has the right to choose the educational setting for their children. And, how can you be surprised or interested in this community of hate, slander and horrible treatment of their mother? Damn, she puts in mad crazy hours taking care of all of our kids - like her decisions or not - but she is parent as well and you don't know any of their circumstances.
I find you to be utterly offensive to bring up anyone's children on a blog. Get a clue and find something real to talk about. Mind your own business on this one!!!!
"Really - Are you that clueless? Everyone has the right to choose the educational setting for their children."
ReplyDeleteI agree, although it should be a matter of public record how few K-12 teachers send their own kids to public schools...
"Damn, she puts in mad crazy hours taking care of all of our kids - like her decisions or not - but she is parent as well and you don't know any of their circumstances.",
She also is a public official, by choice.
If Chief Livingston (whom I presume lives in Amherst) were to hire a MSP detail to guard his house 24/7, people would ask why. So too here. Why aren't her kids in the Amherst schools...
Livingstone does not live in town nor does the fire chief or dpw superintendant. None of the people that are second in command of any of those dpartments live in town either.
DeleteAmherst schools or being homeschooled by Kurt. That's a toss up.
ReplyDeleteThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts has decreed that it is "Dr."
ReplyDeleteComplain to the Great & General Court if you don't like it.
GMWIWAIGA
That's actually an interesting Conflict of Interest question: the Superintendent has to review/approve homeschooling plans, otherwise the child is truant. Well, she is either reviewing her own plan or that of her spouse, or someone whom she supervises is doing so. Either way, this is "textbook" COA. Yet she is the legally-designated person responsible for ensuring that home school curriculums pass muster. She is the one qualified to know about curriculum and such.
ReplyDeleteSo who reviews her own homeschooling of her own children?
Anon 1:35
ReplyDeleteThis is absurd. Would you please find something more intellectually stimulating to comment about? Or at least do some research - home school plans are not complicated at all! Most parents who choose to home school don't have education backgrounds, don't know about curriculum, and do their best to write home school plans that meet the requirements to the best of their abilities. Have you ever written one, read one, approved one? This is a red herring at best - get back to real issues that pertain to our schools. It is so tiring to read this anti-superintendent rhetoric over inane topics!
Doesn't matter how simple a home school plan is, you aren't supposed to be approving your own!
ReplyDeleteLarry, time to be a journalist -- the more I think of it, I can't think of another Superintendent who homeschools. I know a lot send their kids to private schools, but this is unheard of.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying she doesn't have the right to do it, but this is the ultimate "man bites dog" story.