SOUTH HADLEY — In May, Robert “Bob” Robertson will cast his last votes at the Annual Town Meeting.
Robertson, 86, was elected to serve his 50th and what he said is his final year as a Town Meeting member in the annual town election earlier this month.
“My parents were active in local government in that small town on Long Island and I acquired the idea that local government mattered,” Robertson said. “I found it interesting when I came to South Hadley that the town meeting system was there, which was new to me, seemed a good system.”
A Long Island native, Robertson moved to South Hadley in 1962 to take a job at Mount Holyoke College teaching economics.
Settling into town for a few years, Robertson then ran for his first seat as a Precinct D Town Meeting member. It was a contested election, Robertson recalled, with about 12 people running for the 10 seats.
From that first election to the last one, Robertson said, he never saw a reason to get out.
“I find it a satisfactory legislative scheme,” he said. “You are involved with a lot of bright and interested people who care about the local situation and that applies to both the elected officials and the working staff of town government. A lot of good people.”
Select Board Chairman John Hine has been a Town Meeting member for “only” 33 years.
“I remember him right from the get-go,” Hine said. “He’s always been one to speak on various motions.”
As the decades passed, Robertson changed precincts multiple times without ever moving house before Precinct E was created. A recent move to Loomis Village was the first time an actual move promoted a precinct change.
Robertson said he rarely waged a campaign for re-election, which almost cost him a seat when the new precinct was created. He said he tied for last place in that election.
Earlier this month, Robertson garnered 201 votes, beating out competitor Scott Moore.
“I take nothing for granted,” Robertson said.
With his years of hard-earned experience, Robertson said a good Town Meeting member is made through preparation.
“It’s not a long, long process,” he said.
His dedication did not go unnoticed by fellow Town Meeting members and his family.
Hine said the rigor Robertson would put into his comments and discussion at Town Meeting distinguished him from other members.
“With Bob, it was never an emotional plea or some general discussion,” Hine said. “It was always drilled down, coherent, logical … in a way that almost no one ever did.”
“Clearly, Bob has taken his duty — his civic duty — seriously,” Hine continued.
Just a few years shy of Robertson’s five decades is Precinct E Town Meeting member Linda Young. The two had served in Precinct D together for many years.
“Bob Robertson, what a very valuable Town Meeting member he is,” Young said. “He always does his research. He is well informed.”
Young said she always found Robertson very astute and said he has good understanding of what Town Meeting is all about.
“(He) always urges us to vote for what is best for the town rather than what is best for ourselves,” Young said. “He’s a wonderful Town Meeting member. He’s a great example for all new Town Meeting members to aspire (to).”
In a letter to the Gazette, his daughter Kathryn Robertson praised her father’s long-standing commitment to town affairs.
“His passion for politics and public service led to many a family vacation being re-scheduled to accommodate special Town Meetings,” Kathryn wrote. “I also remember how often other townspeople would contact him for guidance on town issues and ballot questions.
“Even as an octogenarian, he stays current on local affairs, taking great interest not only in the senior community and the Council on Aging, but also in the schools and library system. Five decades of public service can be an inspiration to us all!”
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.