AMHERST – Voters at Tuesday’s town election will decide whether to keep the current form of government or appoint a group of nine to study alternatives and possibly recommend changes.
The charter commission question, and selecting the nine residents who would serve on it, highlight the election ballot, which features one other contest for townwide office, with three residents seeking two seats on the Amherst School Committee.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voters last established a charter commission in 2001, but two years later narrowly rejected a proposed change that would have eliminated representative Town Meeting and replaced it with a mayor, town council and professional manager. This same proposal was rejected by a wider margin in 2005.
But with a group called Amherst for All launching a successful signature drive last fall, the proposal to study town government is back before voters.
Michael Greenebaum, spokesman for Town Meeting Works, a ballot question committee opposed to establishing a charter commission, said he hopes those who go to the polls will vote against the commission, noting that such studies can become divisive.
“I hope people will take this seriously and think seriously about the issues being raised,” said Greenebaum, observing that if a commission is formed and recommends changes, there could be long-lasting effects.
Greenebaum added that, should a commission be formed, he hopes residents will choose members open to keeping Town Meeting as the legislative body.
“We need to think about democracy as a fragile, but important, bedrock of society,” Greenebaum said.
Clare Bertrand, a member of the Amherst for All steering committee that gathered the 3,457 signatureJs, said it is urgent that people come to the polls, even though, as is typical, there is not much competition for most of the three-year Town Meeting precinct seats.
“A vote yes does not eliminate Town Meeting, but it establishes a commission to study what we have and decide if it is best or if a better alternative can be put before voters,” Bertrand said.
Town Meeting member Mary Wentworth said not only have charter commission proposals been rejected in the past, but that the process will cost between $30,000 and $40,000.
“Town Meeting is an important part of our form of town government because it is a brake on what Town Hall wants to do, and it’s more representative than the Select Board, or other elected and appointed boards and commissions,” Wentworth said.
Adam Lussier, spokesman for Amherst for All, said voters need to understand that the charter commission is an opportunity for residents to weigh in on how they want to be governed.
“By doing so, it will put in motion an opportunity for everyone who can vote in Amherst to have a vote for the future of the governance structure,” Lussier said.
Most of the 19 candidates for charter commission have been endorsed by either its proponents or opponents, and both sides said they expect to have information available on their websites and at the polls.
Those running for School Committee are Laura E. Kent, 50 Aubinwood Road; Vincent J. O’Connor, 175 Summer St., Apt. 12; and Anastasia E. Ordonez, 1 Dwight Circle.
Incumbents Richard Hood and Kathleen Traphagen are not seeking reelection to the school board.
Incumbents running for reelection without challengers are Alisa V. Brewer, 5 Fairfield St., and James J. Wald, 454 Old Montague Road, for three-year terms on the Select Board; Robert Pam, 229 Amity St., and Jonathan P. McCabe, 57 Glendale Road, for three-year terms as trustees for the Jones Library; James W. Pistrang, 41 High Point Drive, for one year as moderator; and John W. Coull, 20 Sheerman Lane, for one year as elector under the Oliver Smith Will.
Newcomers to the ballot are Stephen W. Jefferson, 117 Rolling Green Drive, for a five-year term on the Amherst Housing Authority, and James R. Turner, 23 Phillips St., for five years on the Amherst Redevelopment Authority. Both are running unopposed, though Judy Collins, 133 Rolling Green Drive, said she would like people to vote for her as a write-in candidate for Housing Authority.
Following are the locations of Amherst polls:
Precinct 1 – North Zion Korean Church Hall, 1193 North Pleasant St.;
Precinct 2 – North Fire Station, 603 East Pleasant St.;
Precinct 3 – Immanuel Lutheran Church, 867 North Pleasant St.;
Precincts 4, 5 and 10 – Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk;
Precinct 6 – Fort River School, 70 South East St.;
Precinct 7 – Crocker Farm School, 280 West St.;
Precinct 8 – Munson Memorial Library, 1046 South East St.;
Precinct 9 – Wildwood School, 71 Strong St.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
