Spring town meeting season is upon us. Over the next six weeks or so, all the big decisions will be made about what land is purchased and preserved, which clean water projects are funded, and how well environmental departments are funded. All these important decisions are made by a select few: those who show up. Most of us, Falmouth and Barnstable being the exceptions, live in towns with an open town meeting form of government. What that means is that resident registered voters can attend, participate, and make a difference. The environment is always in need of more defenders, especially when it comes to spending money.
All you need to do to be an effective participant is get a copy of your town meeting warrant at town hall, in your local paper, or on line. Read the warrant. Identify the issues that are important to you and get educated in advance. Ask questions if something doesn’t make sense to you. It is probable that other people have the same question you do and are afraid to ask, so you do it. More important than anything else is just showing up.
Open town meetings are a mixed bag. The weakness is that single issue voters can show up and vote something up or down and then go home. The strength is the flip side of that coin, that anyone can attend and make a difference. The request here is that you use this open forum to show up and support the environment and to stay for the whole thing. You will leave with a better sense of how your town works, who stands where on certain issues, and perhaps you will get the bug and become a committed participant in town affairs.
