Weighing in on town elections
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We don't have too many endorsements to make this year, because of so few uncontested races, but we'll weigh in with our opinion where we can, especially on the topic of experience. Meredith Meredith's got a difficult choice to make in its selectmen race; both Chuck Palm and Jim Waldron would make excellent selectmen, and fine additions to the board. Both have served in town government, and both have the experience, the know-how, and the understanding of the region to be highly-contributing members of the Meredith Board of Selectmen. In the end, though, it's Palm's departmental experience that convinces us to give him our vote. Still, whoever wins on March 11, Meredith can rest easy knowing that a good man will join the board. Sandwich In the race between Leo Dwyer and Randy Hilman for the Board of Selectmen, we're going to have to give Hilman our vote. It's no secret that to understand Sandwich, you have to really live in it, and gather some history on it, just to begin scratching the surface. With some substantial budgetary decisions coming up in the near future, experience and understanding of Sandwich's deepest wants and needs is a necessity, and the person who can best speak to that, we feel, is Hilman. We'd like to add that, whoever wins the election, we'd like to see Sandwich's roads fixed. Rural atmosphere is one thing, tire realignment is quite another. Moultonboro Three candidates have stepped forward as write-ins in order to challenge Moderator Mel Borrin and Selectmen Karel Crawford and Ed Charest in their formerly uncontested campaigns - Castleberry for moderator, and Al Hume and Gary Torressen for selectmen. Though we like to see a contested race instead of an uncontested one, we're going to have to go with the incumbents this time. The decision to campaign should be proactive, not reactionary. |
SB2
More than any race or budget item this year, this issue has been the one most on the lips of people in Meredith, Moultonboro, Sandwich, and Center Harbor. Do the towns want to break with traditional town meetings? It would mean a change in the way things are done, a deliberative session instead of town meeting. A wider vote on fiscal issues would be available to residents, but this wider vote would mean that it would be more difficult to get capital items passed.
Is this something we think would benefit these towns? In a word - yes.
Both traditional town meetings and SB2 have their drawbacks, but in the end, we'd rather see drawbacks in a town where everyone gets a vote, rather than drawbacks in a town where only those in attendance get a vote. No matter what your circumstance, whether you're able to attend town meeting or not, the effect of the meeting on your taxes is the same. It's not a matter of convenience, it's a matter of opportunity, and we'd like to see that opportunity extended to everyone.
We'd also like to add that understanding an issue is not limited to the debate at a town meeting or a deliberative session. If town officials really want a capital issue (or anything on the warrant) to pass and are afraid that residents will vote it down, it's the officials' responsibility to reach out to people and give them all the information they'll need to make an informed decision. Ultimately, SB2 has a great potential to get folks more involved and bring debates to a wider
audience.
More than any race or budget item this year, this issue has been the one most on the lips of people in Meredith, Moultonboro, Sandwich, and Center Harbor. Do the towns want to break with traditional town meetings? It would mean a change in the way things are done, a deliberative session instead of town meeting. A wider vote on fiscal issues would be available to residents, but this wider vote would mean that it would be more difficult to get capital items passed.
Is this something we think would benefit these towns? In a word - yes.
Both traditional town meetings and SB2 have their drawbacks, but in the end, we'd rather see drawbacks in a town where everyone gets a vote, rather than drawbacks in a town where only those in attendance get a vote. No matter what your circumstance, whether you're able to attend town meeting or not, the effect of the meeting on your taxes is the same. It's not a matter of convenience, it's a matter of opportunity, and we'd like to see that opportunity extended to everyone.
We'd also like to add that understanding an issue is not limited to the debate at a town meeting or a deliberative session. If town officials really want a capital issue (or anything on the warrant) to pass and are afraid that residents will vote it down, it's the officials' responsibility to reach out to people and give them all the information they'll need to make an informed decision. Ultimately, SB2 has a great potential to get folks more involved and bring debates to a wider
audience.
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