By Ryan Doucette
From a young age, my grandfather spurred my interest in advocacy and politics. Ever since my summers with the former mayor and politico, who I just referred to as Grandpa, I have interned on various campaigns, lobbied on Capitol Hill and have spoken with leaders across this nation. If there is one thing that has been consistent throughout my experiences, change seldom occurs. Whether it is local, state, or federal level, leaders have their agenda, and that trumps just one individual. However, this is not the case under an open town meeting government. Change is possible under the town meeting, and all it takes is one person, but with great power comes great responsibility. Open town meeting is the purest form of democracy, but the system is also problematic.
Throughout recent decades, the disconnect between people and their government has continuously grown. Because of this, change has become less imaginable. Nevertheless, that is not the case for the citizens of Bedford, Massachusetts. The town operates under an open town meeting government which is a system that allows all voters to decide local issues. Every voice can be heard and be immensely powerful. It doesn’t take special interests and dark money to stem change. Every voter has the power to change their community.
Whether you agree with the outcome or not, the members of First Parish Unitarian Universalist demonstrated just this at the town meeting on November 12. Church members joined with others at town meeting to argue that solar panels should be permitted in the Historic District under certain conditions. This required a by-law change which passed. The members, joined by other citizens of Bedford, changed their community with their desire for change. Despite the lack of attention, the other 15 articles voted on change Bedford directly. That is far more relevant than anything being passed hundreds of miles south in Washington DC.
Growing up in a political family, I never understood the lack of attention and awareness of local issues. While national politics are exciting, they have a minimal impact on our community. Whereas local politics have a direct influence on our families, friends, and neighbors. The public’s attention should be concentrated on local issues rather than national issues. Being new to Bedford, I found it remarkable to see all that citizens decide: the budget, zoning laws, bylaws, bonds, and everything else in-between. As someone who is politically active, this is incredibly inspiring. But I have concerns that the open town meeting benefits only the politically active.
While this argument may sound counterintuitive, it should be a real concern for the citizens of Bedford. Attending a town meeting is time-consuming. People who work long days are reluctant to give up three hours, or more, they could be spending on other aspects of their lives. The politically active, or those who are not pressed for time, are far likelier to show up. The open town meeting on November 13 only attracted four percent of the electorate, which is troubling. The 326 voters at the meeting decided the outcome of issues that affect thousands of other voters and residents of Bedford.
Lack of interest in local issues may be inevitable, but that shouldn’t result in such a low turn-out at town meeting. To put things into perspective, 6,923 voters from Bedford voted in the 2018 midterms. That means only four percent of voters participated in BOTH the election and the town meeting. Interest in both local elections and town meeting has to rise to ensure the success of the open town meeting process.
The issues surrounding open town meeting are trivial when real change is conceivable. My experience attending the open town meeting was thought-provoking, and I look forward to attending in the future. I aspire to be a voter someday where open town meeting drives development within the community. Change in America doesn’t rest in a politician, it rests within the individuals in a community. And in Bedford, there is no greater place to spur that change than at an open town meeting.
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