If your town has a fall town meeting, and many do in the next few weeks, you need to go. Why? The thought here is that the importance of decisions made locally has never been more important that it is now. The federal government is shut down, and the states are struggling to adjust to the new landscape, but local government, the level of government closest to the residents it serves, must continue to function. The broadest possible level of participation by voters makes town meeting better and more reflective of the wide range of views and interests present in our communities.
Maybe there is an important environmental item on the warrant, maybe not. Regardless, you should still attend because you will learn more about your community than you knew when you arrived. You might even connect with someone new and deepen your ties to the community. You should go because it’s the people who show up who decide what happens in your town, and what is more important than that?
