Selective Demographics

Well if this is the best Town Meeting Loyalists can do, us common sense folks in favor of common sense change in our antiquated form of government have a lot less to worry about this coming March 29 town election.

Click to enlarge/read (but try not to laugh)

 3,500 voters signed the Charter Petition, the vast majority NOT  "landlords and developers"

Amherst has the lowest average age for any municipality in the state -- because of our dearly loved college students of course -- yet Town Meeting is grayer than a retired battleship.

While over half the residents of Amherst rent yet the vast majority of Town Meeting members own their own home.

And let's not even talk about skin color.

But yeah, Town Meeting is gender balanced.

Amherst Town Meeting in 2011.  The night they voted overwhelmingly to allow Town Manager to sign contract for solar array on ye old landfill. A very contentious issue at the time (and still today)

9 of 19

If the average Amherst voter bothers to read the survey responses from the 19 Charter Commission candidates it is pretty clear which of them are open to an actual change in our current creaky form of government.

So write down these names and bring them into the voting booth with you on March 29: Andy Churchill, Thomas Fricke, Nick Grabbe, Mandi Jo Hanneke, Phil Jackson, Bernie Kubiak, Maureen Raab, Irv Rhodes, and Julie Rueshemeyer.

Bring on change!

Amherst For All

Simple Questions

9 member Charter Commission could have new town government ready for 2017 vote

As promised Amherst For All has issued a short survey to all 20 Charter Commission candidates who will appear alphabetically on the March 29 local election ballot, thanks to the four month campaign that snagged the 3,215 required signatures.

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If anyone refuses to answer all 5 questions, voters should immediately eliminate them in favor of ones who did take the time to fully respond.

And anyone who refused to sign the petition to get the vote on the ballot in the first place should also be automatically rejected.

As should at least half of any husband and wife combinations.

Deadline!

No breathless last second candidates showed up a minute before 5:00 PM

The die is cast, the Rubicon has been crossed and Amherst voters will have enormous choices in the only race that matters this coming election, Charter Commission.

The nine member committee will decide the fate of town government for the next few generations. Well, actually, the voters will decide that. Because no matter what the Charter Commission comes up with after a year of deliberation the voters must approve it at the annual election in 2017.

I asked the Select Board on Monday night to place on the March 29 ballot a non binding advisory question asking the voters if it's time to retire Town Meeting. This was done 15 years ago and the voters said "yes".

Maybe even throw in a question about retaining a Town Manager. If the voters say "yes" it might make the potential candidates for a new permanent Town Manager feel a little more comfortable applying for the $155,000 job.

And for sure these questions should be asked of the 20 Charter Commission candidates who will all do doubt give the stock answer that their mind is open and they have not decided one way or the other.

Which only makes you wonder why they ran for the job in the first place.

Superstar Wanted

Probably the easiest way to choose our new "permanent" Town Manager by this summer is to escort the short list of final candidates out to highly acclaimed Puffer's Pond and see which one of them can walk on water.

The marketing profile issued by our headhunter consultant Bernie Lynch is nothing if not thorough. Who wouldn't want to work/lead such a progressive passionate "college town?"  Especially when you start at $155K and don't even have to live in the costly community.

The Charter Commission that will be elected on March 29 could very well come back a year later with a new form of government, minus a Town Manager.  But obviously whatever they come up with could still use a Finance Director.

John Musante, our most recent beloved Town Manager who died suddenly last September, was the Finance Director for five years prior to becoming Town Manager.

 Former Town Manager John Musante & former Finance Director Sandy Pooler

So all is not necessarily lost spending a bevy of time and money coming up with our new Town Manager even if the position is lost in a governmental reorganization.  They could still be a vital part of the town administration.

And the majestic marketing piece Mr. Lynch came up with is still useful as a template for another critically needed leadership position:  A mayor.

   Amherst Profile For New Town Manager

Charter Two for One?

As of 10:05 this morning 8 candidates have returned their Charter Commission nomination papers with the requisite 50 voter signatures required.  Another 15 have taken out papers but not yet returned them.

Yes former Select Board Chair Gerry Weiss and his wife Jenifer McKenna are among those names that are now guaranteed to appear on the March 29 ballot.

Obviously married couples don't necessarily think alike, but if they have lasted that long under one roof they probably are not opposites like Oscar and Felix.

The new Charter for Amherst is going to the the most important document of our generation.

 Three newest wannabes

Let's hope voters choose 9 Charter Commissioners with a varied background, who can bring strong independent thinking to the process.

No Charter Cheerleading

Amherst Select Board, the executive branch of town government

The Amherst Select Board heard from two Kopalman & Paige ("The leaders in pubic sector law") attorneys last night on the do's and dont's of all things Charter change.  Most of it common sense, which this current Board has in abundant supply.  

Prior to the March 29 election the Select Board can do nothing out of the ordinary to influence voters one way or the other on how to vote especially if expends taxpayer funds.  No use of snail mail, email list serves, extra notices on the town website, etc.

Joel Bard and Lauren Goldberg update Select Board on Charter matters

After the election the 9 member Charter Commission becomes like any other town body but with the added bonus of $5,000 in town funds, guaranteed office space and direct use of the town attorney. 

And again the same hands off rules apply with the Select Board for dealing with the more epic vote of passing the new Charter.

The Select Board can assign one of its members as liaison to the Charter Commission to attend every meeting and report back to his/her Board, and Open Meeting Law even allows for a quorum of Select Board members to attend any Charter Commission meeting as long as they do not participate in a "deliberative" manner.

The Select Board can, however, take a formal vote as to whether they support the new Charter and issue a press release.  

Interestingly the Interim Town Manager sneaked a pay raise into the upcoming FY17 budget for the Select Board going from a $300 annual haul all the way up to $1,500 (plus an extra $500 for the Chair).  

Yes, a long ways from the $9,000 Northampton City Councilors make -- but still a solid move towards a more professional government. 

Something needed now more than ever.

A Penny Wise Investment

Big changes coming to our little college town

Fortunately after the voters approve the Charter Question at this coming March 29 election the Town Treasurer -- according to state statute -- has 20 days to credit the Charter Commission account with $5,000.  No questions asked.

Since Town Meeting could very well be exterminated by the new government the Commission proposes, they may not be overly friendly about appropriating seed money, which is kind of like a federal penitentiary charging death row inmates an electricity surcharge to power the electric chair.

The nine member Commission that will also be elected on March 29 has 18 months maximum to come up with a new government proposal, but there is no minimum limit.  Then all it requires is a majority vote of the electorate at an annual election.

The Commission can issue a mid-term status report, hold at least two public hearings (1st one within 45 days of election) and must snail mail their final report to all the registered voters in town, so the $5,000 allowance is probably too low.

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Interestingly after the first Mayor/Council/Town Manager idea failed at the ballot box in 2003 by only 14 votes the boundlessly determined Stan Durnakowski went out and got enough signatures to bring it back two years later.

A legal firefight ensued when the Select Board, at the time led by Anne Awad and Gerry Weiss, refused to mail along with the Charter the letter of introduction by 7-of-9 Charter Commission members outlining why they came up with the new proposal.   Which of course was done the 1st time around.

 Select Board annual town report 2005

Yes this is the same Gerry Weiss who became Select Board Chair a few years later and co-conspired with Town Manager Larry Shaffer to tax the Boy Scouts Christmas tree sales on Kendrick Park.

And then trampled the First Amendment rights of the July 4th Parade Committee by denying them a parade permit because they refused to let unregistered protesters march in their private parade.  Something the town's municipal 250th Parade Committee would also do a few years later.

And yes, Mr. Weiss and his wife Jenifer McKenna -- as loyal followers of the status quo -- have taken out nomination papers for Charter Commission.

Those who adamantly resist any change (that must be voter approved) in our inefficient overly guided by self-interest current government, need to answer the simple question:  what are you afraid of? 

Mr Weiss is also not a big fan of transparency

When Products Compete, They Get Better

The sun is setting on our current form of government

The race for Charter Commission illustrates perfectly the problem with Amherst Town Meeting:  20 candidates have thus far taken out nomination papers for the nine open seats, or  2.2 candidates per seat while Town Meeting has only 30 candidates for 80 open seats, or .375 candidates per seat.

So how's a voter to decide who to elect to this critically important body that will decide the fate of Amherst town government for the rest of the century?

Well first of all it should be easy to nix the ones who did not sign the charter petition that brought it to the March 29 ballot in the first place:

Out of the 20 potential Charter Commission candidates that would include Janet McGowan, Gerry Weiss, Meg Gage, Maurianne Adams, Jennifer McKenna, Robert Greeney, Diana Stein, Leslie Saulsberry, and Chris Riddle (Although an Amherst For All Steering Committee member confirms Mr. Riddle signed a sheet but may have been disqualified for being illegible or some other technical reason).

In other words, Town Meeting Loyalists need not apply.  And the initial strategy to protect that inept antiquated form of government was to naively hope enough signatures would not be collected.

That of course did not pan out as Amherst For All collected the 3,215 signatures in a historically record breaking three months.

So the first two questions that should be asked of all the candidates who successfully hand in their nomination papers by February 9 with 50 signatures is did you sign the petition to bring about the Commission you are now running for, and do you support Amherst Town Meeting?

If they answer No & Yes you have your answer:  Choose someone else.

No Challenge!

Opponents of Amherst For All's effort to collect the 3,215 required signatures to place on the March 29 ballot the question of forming a 9-member Charter Commission to come up with a new and improved local government failed to challenge a single signature.

After a simple majority vote of the Select Board,  the measure goes on the ballot.

List of candidates who have taken out papers:

One addition:  Gerry Weiss (former Select Board member)

Of these 11 potential candidates for the 9 member Charter Commission only Gerry Weiss and Janet McGowan refused to sign the Charter petition itself.

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.

Let The Battle Begin

Adam Lussier, Amherst For All (left) Town Clerk Sandra Burgess (right)

As of 4:30 PM Amherst Town Clerk Sandra Burgess has certified 3,247 signatures on the Charter petition drive to put before the voters this spring the question of changing our form of local governance and the election of 9 Charter Commissioners to carry out that long overdue proposition.

The monumental task required the signatures of 15% of Amherst registered voters, or 3,215.

But Amherst For All is not exactly popping the champagne bottles and collapsing in a happy heap.

Instead they are calling for one more massive push Saturday to continue collecting signatures as a cushion against what is sure to be a challenge from pro-Town Meeting zealots.

On Monday, hopefully with hundreds of additional signatures, one of the members of the Steering Committee will sign a statement with the Town Clerk saying they are done with signature collection.

The Board of Registrars has ten days from the 12/21 date of the final submission to certify signatures and issue a Certification Report, which is December 31.  Objectors wishing to challenge signatures have two "working days" from December 31st, which gives them a deadline of January 5, 2016 (because January 1, 2 and 3 are not working days) by 5:00 PM.

The hurdle for disqualifying signatures is a high one, and thus far no one in the entire history of the town has ever successfully overturned a ballot question or candidate nomination using a signature challenge. 

Click to enlarge/read

Story Of The Year

The fog will lift for sure next year

I'm a little ahead of my bricks and mortar media friends with that traditional year end list culminating with the top story of the year.  In fact I'm w-a-y ahead since this is my prediction for the biggest story of 2016.

Amherst has not seen a Charter change battle in over ten years, and this upcoming one is shaping up to be even more epic since this time around it stands a better chance of passing.  And the previous one narrowly came up short out of 4,814 votes cast losing by only 14  -- less than 1%.

Amherst For All members gather at Kendrick Park Saturday for final push

In fact the monumental effort to collect a whopping 3,215 signatures has only been aided by the (over) reaction of Town Meeting cheerleaders thus far:

The threat to challenge "every signature" certified by the Town Clerk for instance underscores their unAmerican desperate way of trying to prevent voters from having a say over the way they are governed.

Or the video upload to YouTube suggesting "conflict of interest" with Amherst For All Steering Committee members, while failing to acknowledge Town Meeting members are exempt from state conflict of interest law (unlike a Mayor or Council).

Talk about throwing stones while living in a Tiffany stained glass teepee.

Amherst For All is more than just a name; it represents something hardpressed taxpayers have not seen in too long a time:  hope.

Anti-Charter Cheerleaders

Typical TM demographic:  Older, white, with 2 much time on their hands

If this is material that passes for a hatchet job these two country bumpkin impersonators may want to start patronizing a better arms dealer. 

First off they need better props.  Who in Amherst still reads a newspaper?  Yes an older crowd for sure, which is the prime make up of Amherst Town Meeting.  But invoking that particular demographic is pretty much preaching to the converted.



Over one-third of the registered voters in our little college town are "college aged youth," and they have not picked up a newspaper since the last time they used a phone booth.

And if you're going to call out people by name at least get their names right.  "Suzie" la Cour, the Business Improvement District director, may have been a cheerleader in her youthful past but her name is Sarah.

And her husband Niels left Town Hall Planning Department for UMass, at least according to former Town Manager Larry Shaffer's announcement on the floor of Town Meeting, because he got a $10,000 raise.  So who wouldn't leave?

Just as one must assume Hope Keenan recently left her marketing gig at the Business Improvement District in favor of a UMass job because of better pay.

Or maybe it was just to have less dealings with entitled socialistic has-beens-and-never-weres who wish for our downtown to stay forever locked in the Eisenhower era.

When asked why he frequented a fixed game the gambler responded, "Because it's the only game in town."  Which is why of course 13-of-20 Amherst For All Steering Committee members are Town Meeting members.

And anyone who has spent so much as one night in Town Meeting knows all too well how outmoded, cumbersome and naive it is.

Can you imagine a multi-million per year corporation being run by a group of 135 or so (out of the 240 who bother to show up) rank amateurs who come together 10 or 12 nights per year to run things?

Apple Inc would be in the business of selling real (organically grown) apples.

The other laughable charge directed at Amherst For All Steering Committee is that they are  "All white, with no disabled and no low income."  Talk about the pot calling the kettle of color.

Anyone looked around the floor of Town Meeting lately?  (Or anytime over the past 256 years).

Amherst Town Meeting counted standing vote May, 2014

Amherst For All is now over two-thirds of the way to target goal of 3,215 signatures of registered voters who agree it's time to study our current form of government and come up with a better one.

Thus these two Town Meeting cheerleaders will someday soon be out of their obviously all too coveted volunteer job.

Signature Saturday Success

 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.

One Third Of The Way There

To guarantee the Charter question placement on the ballot requires 3,215 voter signatures 

The advantage of Charter change enthusiasts -- aka Amherst For All -- knowing our town well enough to know that antiquated Town Meeting needs to go, is they also know all the popular spots to stake out and let the voters come to them for signature acquisition.

Although I'm told they are also doing the old fashioned neighborhood canvas, something individual politicians (and police) have been doing for generations.

Clare Bertrand and Niels la Cour collecting signatures under their very own tent at Farmers Market

On Saturday a crew was stationed on the Town Common during the Amherst Farmers Market, which also coincided with the UMass Homecoming Parade through town center.

As of close of business today Town Clerk Sandra Burgess confirms her office has certified 1,121 signatures -- or more than one third of the way to target goal.

For the Charter question to appears on the upcoming spring local election ballot proponents must hand in all the required signatures by December 21st .

Thus I'm comfortable predicting Christmas will be a tad more merry this year.

Viva La Revolucion!

Amherst Town Government comes up for voter scrutiny ... again

1st of 3,500 signatures 4:35 PM today

The most epic local political battle in the entire history of our town will see a return engagement in 2016 as Amherst For All, has initiated the movement to place before voters formation of a Charter Commission to study and present a new improved form of local governance.

In other words, a death sentence for 257 year old Amherst representative Town Meeting, which many people now think is no longer "representative."

Amherst, a "college town", has the lowest median age in the state (22) where the majority of residents are renters; but Town Meeting is mostly populated by a gray-haired crowd of homeowners.

Who yell at the 22-year-olds to "get off their lawn!"

While self absorbed NIMBY/BANANA zealots have never reached a majority level in Town Meeting, the problem is they only require one-third-plus-one minority to stop any reasonable pro-development zoning article. And that low benchmark was reached a long time ago.

 Amherst Town Meeting last May

Amherst's tax base is 90% residential and only 10% commercial, with over half the property in town owned by tax-exempts, mainly our higher education entities:  Amherst College, UMass and Hampshire College respectively.

On April 3rd, 2001 Amherst voters -- with a voter turnout of 17% -- endorsed the formation of a Charter Commission which came up with a mayor/council form of government, but one that also retained a town manager.

Question 1 (binding): Charter formation?  Question 3 (non binding): Should we dump Town Meeting?

In April, 2003  -- with a voter turnout of 31% -- that ballot question to change our form of government failed by only 14 votes, 2414  to 2400 (with 21 blank ballots cast).  Two years later -- with a voter turnout of 35% -- the same question lost by 252 votes, 2,953 to 2,701.

Fast forward to this afternoon.  According to Town Clerk Sandra Burgess:

The petition must contain the signature of 15% of the number of registered voters in that city or town at the time of the last state election.

Because this is state law, the number of registered voters includes inactives.

The total number of registered voters at the last state election (2014) was 21,430.  So if you were planning on filing a petition to place a charter question on the 2016 Annual Town Election Ballot you would have to collect 3,215 signatures to force the question on the ballot.  

Town Clerk Sandra Burgess accepts Ballot Committee papers from Adam Lussier

To make the deadline for the 2016 annual election ballot all the signatures must be confirmed 100 days before the election (the exact date has not yet been set) so roughly by mid-December.  Considering the Charter Commission created at the annual 2001 election required almost two years to collect the (2,600) signatures, an ambitious time line.

Back then, however, the signatures were collected pretty much single handedly by one very determined man, Stan Durnakowski, using the tagline Amherst needs a (strong) Mayor.

Mr. Durnakowski was also elected to the Charter Commission but he couldn't convince a quorum of fellow commissioners to support a strong mayor.

The Charter Commission instead opted for a weak mayor, maintained a "professional" town manager but did at least ditch town meeting in favor of a city council.

The 9-member Charter Commission is elected on the same ballot that voters approve forming said Commission, so it's important Amherst For All put up a slate of candidates who will represent their views for reforming town government.

Under Massachusetts Home Rule Amendment to the state's constitution the newly elected Charter Commission then has 18 months to produce its "Final Report," aka a blueprint for a new & improved government.  During that time period the Commission must hold at least two public forums.

The BIG difference today vs 2003 when the Charter change failed by only 14 votes is Social Media (why you're reading this here first).  Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin were not even born, and blogs were in their infancy.

Thus the power of the web will be a key factor this time around.

And when the cyber-smoke clears I foresee Stan Durnakowski looking down from above, giving us a thumbs up ... with his bespectacled face glowing with a broad grin.

Select Board member Jim Wald (who would be out of a job) and concerned looking Town Meeting aficionado Vince O'Connor (who would also be out of a job) look on as the Town Clerk briefs Amherst For All Steering Committee

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Official Kick Off Signature Drive Launch Party is September 2nd @ The Pub from 5-7PM 

   Amherst Mayor/Council Charter 2003