Town Meeting Day

Today was Town Meeting Day, when voters across the state meet to approve budgets and pass resolutions. I love it.

Our local Fourth of July celebration is more Guy Fawkes than God Bless America, so Town Meeting Day is our greatest group demonstration of commitment to democracy. Some things (the inter-town high school budget and election of officials) are done by ballot in the voting booth, but the issues? The issues we hash out in open debate and voice vote ("all in favor say 'Aye!").

You need a thick skin to serve on a town board. Every town has a crank or two, and Town Meeting Day gives them access to an open mike. And then there are the non-crank but very blunt native New Englanders. ("George, what the hell are you talking about? Just quit the stories and tell us what you want.") Any line in the budget is up for critique, and people in the audience are routinely called on to dredge up the history of certain issues or subcommittee reports.

Today's meeting was relatively free of drama. The two issues I thought would be most controversial going in (the elementary school budget and a large paving project) both passed with nary a nay vote. The cemetery was a sneaker issue, generating far more debate than I expected. And there was one laughable moment, when a woman insisted we should ask nearby towns to help us fund the paving project, since they used the road too.

Due to a computer crisis and orthodontist appointment, I wasn't able to stay for the potluck lunch or the final resolutions (mostly housecleaning), but all in all it was a good day for democracy.

Here's to government of the people, by the people, for the people.