This week the Press has made Saturday’s Annual Town Meeting, set to convene at noon in Cronin Auditorium at the Bromfield School, its object of attention.
Our coverage includes a thorough analysis of several consequential articles on the warrant, plus a guide to the meeting itself and the Press Glossary of Municipal Lingo. And for those in a hurry—which is most of us—we offer our signature Warrant in Plain English, a distillation of the facts you need to know about each of the 27 warrant articles that attendees are asked to approve.
What we can’t provide is the give and take of debate, the passionately argued pros and cons, the friendly and unfriendly amendments, the probing questions of your neighbors, and the reasoned (or spun) answers of town officials—the sounds, in short, of a direct democracy at work. For that, your presence is required.
In a town governed by town meetings, every registered voter is a potential delegate. Those who show up get to decide; they are the de facto—but unelected—representatives of those who don’t—or can’t.
Turnout at last year’s Annual Town Meeting was an abysmal 4%. Doing better this year seems especially important given the extraordinary effort of town officials—and the sacrifices of town employees— to control spending while delivering the services townspeople expect. The proposed fiscal 2024 budget is precariously balanced, and not without painful cuts. Every town resident will be affected by those cuts, one way or another, and should have a keen interest in making sure the reductions are equitable.
A lot has changed in a year. Townspeople will be gathering in Cronin Auditorium instead of sheltering on folding chairs under a big tent. Voters will not be sprawling on blankets with their small children and pets. Wearing a mask will be optional instead of highly recommended or required for an indoor public meeting. There will be refreshments for sale in the Cronin lobby and even some child care available. And perhaps best of all, portable toilets will not be necessary.
But what hasn’t changed, and what seems more important than ever this year, is the responsibility of citizens to participate in the governance of our town. Our form of direct democracy is a gift that should not be squandered. The Press has done all it can to explain what’s at stake.
The rest is up to you.
