Annual Town Meeting is regarded as an iconic New England institution.
However, based on my experience, turnout for this important democratic institution is generally in the range of less than 15 percent of the registered voters. As I tell my students, this means that 85 out of every 100 voters chose to stay home rather than participate in democracy.
Annual Town Meeting is held on the same day every year, so it is easy to pencil it in on your calendar in January. I find this lack of involvement ironic given how important so many people give the symbols of our nation, such as the flag, yet fail to participate in the institutions that those symbols represent.
At our annual Town Meeting, we will get to discuss the funding and allocation of a close to $5 million budget. This is a civic duty that is expected in a democracy. We cannot claim to govern ourselves if we choose not to participate. That is neither rational or prudent.
Please inform yourself on how to participate in Town Meeting, show up informed and help create the type of community you wish to live in.
As journalist Molly Ivins wrote, “The thing about democracy, beloveds, is that it is not neat, orderly, or quiet. It requires a certain relish for confusion.”
Brian Mulvehill
Westhampton