Spring 2009 Annual Town Meeting

Greetings,


I want to thank everyone who participated in this year's Town Meeting: those who helped to prepare, those members who attended, those who set up and cleaned the High School for us, those who broadcast us (although I learned that Town Meeting was not carried on FIOS - which is being investigated). It goes without saying that FinCom puts in an incredible amount of work for Spring Town meeting, as does Captial Budget, and it is a huge benefit for all the town hall staff who attends to answer Town Meeting's question. {I enjoy the irony in the fact that as moderator, I get to appoint the FinCom - the town "penny pinchers" whose primary purpose is to to watch the town's purse strings and save money, but also the Capital Budget committee, whose job it is is to go out and spend the Town's money on the coolest stuff it can find (dump trucks, fire engines, computers!)} I find myself working most closely with, and relying most heavily on, Town Clerk Ron Fucile and Town Administrator Michael Boynton, and I thank them for their advice and counsel.



I love Spring Town meeting for many reasons. The weather is getting nice, many people haven't seen each other in a long time, the youthful musicians who perform the National Anthem - it's a time for rejuvination and renewal, personally and as a town. Town Meeting made some difficult choices this year, but we (well, mostly YOU) proved once again that the system works.


As always, please contact me if you have any questions, suggestions or constructive criticism of how Town Meeting can be run better. It is your meeting, I am here merely to facilitate it.

Good luck to all candidates running for office in June. Hope to see you all at the various candidate events.


Thanks again.


Jon


P.S. Here is another interesting article about the New England town meeting, from a national perspective.



http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-04-28-town-meeting_N.htm