The upcoming election to fill three seats on the Devens Committee, reported in this week’s Notice Board, shines a light once again on the lack of truly representative government at Devens. The state law that created the Devens Regional Enterprise Zone gave residents there the right to vote in state, federal, and local elections in the towns on whose historical land they are living. But they have no vote in how they are governed by MassDevelopment, the agency responsible for providing municipal services, such as police and fire, and to which they pay taxes.
The Devens Committee was created by a memorandum of understanding between MassDevelopment and the towns of Harvard, Ayer, and Shirley in 1994. Named the Devens Citizens Advisory Committee, the intent was to provide residents with the means to bring their concerns to the attention of MassDevelopment managers, but without the power to affect their decisions. The memo promised the committee “reasonable access” to MassDevelopment “to address concerns of residents regarding the delivery of local services and related issues.” The memo also stated that it was the intent of the three towns and MassDevelopment that the concerns of residents “be addressed through the committee.”
In spite of its limited powers, the committee is the one elected body at Devens that can be said to represent residents, and when it speaks with authority, MassDevelopment must listen. Past committee elections have drawn few candidates or voters. Fewer than 20 residents cast ballots in the last election, an embarrassingly low turnout in a community of 800.
It’s time to change that. Although the committee lacks the authority of an elected municipal Board of Selectmen, the Press encourages residents to register, get to know the candidates, and vote. A committee with the backing of a higher proportion of residents is a committee with a mandate and a voice. And with the future governance of Devens on the table, residents need a truly representative elected body to make their wishes known and ensure that they ultimately are granted the right to the say in their governance guaranteed to all citizens of Massachusetts.
